Liverpool reportedly made an offer to sign Real Madrid defender Raul Asencio this summer, according to Marca.
The Reds needed defensive reinforcement after Ibrahima Konate left for Los Blancos, leaving a gap in the Merseyside club’s roster.
It didn’t help that Liverpool defenders Giovanni Leoni and Jeremy Jacquet were returning from long-term injuries. They clearly needed to add bodies to the rearguard.
Liverpool turned to the Spain international defender who has become a serviceable option for the 15-time UEFA Champions League winners.
Lauded as a solid defender with excellent physical attributes, the Liverpool target is also ‘decisive on the ball’.
Asencio caught the eye after featuring 23 times in La Liga last term, helping to keep two clean sheets while winning 57 percent of his aerial and 60% of his ground duels.
The 23-year-old has his flaws, but Liverpool seem to believe they can be ironed out and that he can develop into a top-class centre-back.
The Reds were not alone in the race for his signature as Chelsea and a Turkish club also made offers to sign the Las Palmas-born defender.
However, Liverpool instead turned their attention to Ronald Araujo, a stellar loan pick-up.
Asencio has fallen the pecking order and didn’t help his cause when he got into trouble for driving under the influence, prompting a dressing-down from Jose Mourinho.
Liverpool look like they made the wise choice not to sign Asencio, who had been arrested for his involvement in a sexual video controversy in 2023 before he was acquitted.
The Reds could still use a long-term successor to Virgil Van Dijk at the back in the coming transfer windows, but Asencio likely won’t be the solution for new sporting director Julian Ward.
Liverpool need to consider whether to make the Araujo deal permanent and/or pursue another centre-back in the coming windows.