Lee Ryder has provided an interesting comment on the links to Marco Asensio, revealing the player's wages are 'on par with what Newcastle can offer'. 

The lowdown

Asensio may leave Real Madrid this summer, having entered the final 12 months of his contract.

He's been with Los Blancos for seven years, joining from RCD Mallorca in 2015 for a fee of £3.5million.

The Spaniard has gone on to play 235 times for the club, but his involvement was limited last season as he started only half of Real's La Liga games and just two of their Champions League matches (via Transfermarkt).

Predominantly a left winger, he can also play on the right or as an attacking midfielder.

The latest

In a Q&A for Chronicle Live, a supporter asked Ryder whether the club might bid for Asensio.

Ryder indicated that he had spoken to someone at the club and 'this wasn't knocked down by Newcastle'.

He believes 'it would be a major coup' and thinks the Magpies will be able to meet his wage demands.

However, he does stress that 'there still seems to be a lot of work to do'.

The verdict

You can see why Ryder expresses excitement. This would be a marquee addition for Newcastle.

Asensio has scored 49 goals and provided 24 assists for 14-times European champions Real and is renowned for the power he can generate. Indeed, his manager Carlo Ancelotti says it's as if he has 'a rock in his boot'.

During his time at the Santiago Bernabeu, he's won 14 trophies, including three Champions Leagues and three La Liga titles.

He's also won 29 caps for Spain, who are one of the strongest international sides (sixth in the FIFA rankings).

Back in 2017, when he was only in his early 20s, Real inserted a £442million release clause into his contract, and while he may not have quite lived up to that kind of billing, it shows just how big of a statement of ambition this would be from Newcastle.