Man Utd transfer news: £51m offer for Real Madrid star Marco Asensio made - report

Asensio, 21, only made 11 La Liga starts for Real Madrid last season under Zinedine Zidane.

But he has taken full advantage of Cristiano Ronaldo’s five-match ban this term and has hit the ground running with two goals in two league games. 

And his talents have not gone unnoticed with Spanish outlet Diario Gol claiming Manchester United have made an optimistic bid of £51m for his services. 

It is said the offer was made while making enquiries about Gareth Bale, who has been long linked with a move to Old Trafford. 

However, Real Madrid instantly rejected their offer as they are determined to keep the rising star at the Bernabeu. 

The Spain international has a £74m release clause inserted into his current contract, which runs until the summer of 2022. 

But Diario Gol say Real Madrid chief Florentino Perez is ready to raise his buy-out clause to a whopping £552m to ward off interest from potential suitors. 

Asensio was concerned about the amount of game time he would get this season, but Zidane has apparently given him assurances. 

This would mean Bale and Karim Benzema could be at risk of losing their place when Ronaldo returns to the first-team. 

Whether Mourinho comes back in with another bid for Asensio before the transfer window shuts tomorrow remains to be seen. 

But he will have to pull a massive offer out of the bag to lure the Spaniard away from Real. 

United have already done some good business this season by signing Romelu Lukaku, Victor Lindelof and Nemanja Matic. 

And Mourinho has reaped the rewards so far with the Red Devils flying high at the top of the Premier League with three wins from their opening three games.