MUFC can unearth their own Foden by signing "magical" star with a £596m release clause - opinion

Manchester United’s era has hardly started with a bang under Erik ten Hag but some key decisions have already been made at Old Trafford.

On Wednesday it was confirmed that Paul Pogba and Jesse Lingard would indeed be leaving United behind at the end of their contracts this summer.

It marks a sad end for the midfield duo but it’s now crucial ten Hag gets to business in the transfer market.

One player he could sign is Real Madrid’s Marco Asensio with fresh reports dictating that his agent is set to offer the Spaniard to Man United.

That’s according to sources in Spain, via Sport Witness, who report that Jorge Mendes wants to take the 26-year-old to the Premier League in the coming months.

The player has not closed the door on an exit from the Bernabeu but it’s not known at this stage whether United actually want the player.

Asensio has a whopping €700m (£596m) release clause in his Madrid contract but Transfermarkt values the attacker at £36m.

It will be interesting to see how ten Hag attacks the transfer window after being appointed the new manager of United.

It’s clear that a number of areas need reinforcing throughout the summer and they will need to unearth someone who can not only create more goal-scoring opportunities but also find the back of the net.

Only Cristiano Ronaldo and Bruno Fernandes surpassed double figures for goals in 2021/21 so Asensio could certainly help improve that.

He found the net 12 times throughout the current campaign, which included ten strikes in 31 La Liga outings.

Capable of playing on the wing or in a number 10 role, his versatility and overall qualities are similar to that of Manchester City’s Phil Foden.

The young Englishman is the very definition of a wonderkid and helped himself to a