“He doesn’t care” – Jerome Rothen warns ‘pigeon club’ PSG of spending too much on transfer target
Former Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) winger Jerome Rothen is skeptical about Real Madrid winger Marco Asensio reportedly joining the Parisian club this summer.
As per journalist David Ornstein, Asensio is set to leave Los Blancos when his contract expires this summer and join Paris Saint-Germain. Rothen, however, believes that the Spaniard might be joining the club primarily for financial reasons.
“I like Asensio. At Real, he was barred by stronger. But if he comes to PSG, he does not come for the right reasons. Putting on the PSG or Chelsea jersey, he doesn’t care," Rothen told RMC Sports (h/t Paris Fans).
“Then 8 million euros per year for an additional player… Paris is a pigeon club. He’s a free player, so it’s normal to make efforts to attract him, but the player shouldn’t come just for the financial aspect," he added.
Rothen further explained his inhibitions regarding Asensio's signing, comparing him to Julian Draxler's stint with the Parisian club.
Draxler joined the club from VfL Wolfsburg for €42 million in 2017. He contributed 26 goals and 41 assists in 198 games for the club but eventually fell down in the pecking order. He spent the 2022-23 campaign on loan at Benfica.
Rothen hopes that Asensio's potential stint at PSG doesn't follow a similar path.
“At the sporting level, not many big clubs knock on his door, and even less at this price. The PSG recruitment method is not good, a different project is needed. After Asensio, it is not necessarily bad recruitment on paper," Rothen said.
“But will he adapt to Paris with the right conditions to succeed? I don’t know … At this rate, he’ll go take pictures at the Eiffel Tower, he’ll play a few games and get injured … I hope he’ll do better than Draxler, but it’s the same kind of recruitment, he concluded.
Asensio, 27, mostly played a substitute role at Real Madrid in the 2022-23 season, starting just 18 games. He contributed 12 goals and eight assists in 50 overall appearances.
Marco Asensio's Real Madrid career amidst PSG links
Marco Asensio joined Real Madrid from RCD Mallorca in 2015 but then spent one year on loan at Espanyol. Incidentally, tennis legend Rafael Nadal, who is a huge Los Blancos supporter, told club president Florentino Perez to sign the Spanish forward.
After returning to Real Madrid in 2016, Asensio made his debut and also scored in a 3-2 win over Sevilla in the UEFA Super Cup. The Spaniard has scored 61 goals and provided 32 assists in 285 games for Los Blancos. He has won three UEFA Champions League trophies and three La Liga titles with the club, among other honors.
However, with the rise of Vinicius Jr. and Rodrygo Goes, Asensio has fallen down in the pecking order at the club. He now appears set to join PSG, amidst interest from Arsenal and Aston Villa (via talkSPORT).