Once hailed as the "new Sergio Ramos," Raúl Asencio's trajectory at Real Madrid has taken a sharp turn. Just a year ago, Asencio seemed destined to anchor Real Madrid’s defense for years. But the 21-year-old Canary Islander is no longer in favor under new manager Xabi Alonso, casting doubt on his long-term role at the club.
🚨 𝗡𝗘𝗪: Raúl Asencio is NOT in the plans of Xabi Alonso, he is not convinced by the qualities of the player.
— The Touchline | 𝐓 (@TouchlineX) July 28, 2025
— @okdiario pic.twitter.com/IINuCqOLJX
From Promising Prospect to Liability
Asencio’s decline began with a series of costly errors at the Club World Cup, giving away a penalty against Al-Hilal after losing possession inside the box and losing the ball in the buildup to PSG’s opening goal in a humiliating 4-0 loss. He also received a red card just minutes into the match against Pachuca.
Even goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois publicly criticized the mistakes, saying: “It’s two games and the same mistake twice… we have to be smarter.”
Xabi Alonso Unconvinced by Asencio
New manager Xabi Alonso has shown little faith in Asencio. He prefers a three-man center-back system with Huijsen and Militão as starters (when healthy), and Rüdiger and Alaba seen as backups. Asencio is slipping to fifth-choice status. Despite renewing his contract until 2031 with a staggering €1 billion release clause, Asencio’s stock has plummeted. He was once linked with clubs ready to pay up to €50 million, but now Madrid doesn’t know what to do with him, per OK Diario.
