The Espanyol did not get a written agreement from the Real Madrid to loan Marco Asensio this season, as part of Kiko Casilla's transfer to the white club, but they did get a kind of preferential agreement in case the player does not stay under Rafa Benitez's orders.
This was explained by the president of Espanyol, Joan Collet: "We cannot link this operation to that of Marco Asensio. We have asked for it, we have fought for it and we are working on it. There is no agreement regarding a player with whom we have not yet spoken. We will not know if he will go on loan because Madrid has not made a decision yet. The player is out. We have spoken with the club and with his representative. He is a target for Espanyol. The commitment is not written, but we are very interested in him."
"We have spoken with Madrid and with his representative. We are optimistic. If the opportunity arises, Espanyol will be there," he added.
Marco Asensio is currently playing in the U19 European Championship with the Spanish National Team. This Thursday he scored both goals against France that put Spain in the final of the tournament. Benitez's intention is to test him and then decide whether he stays with the first team or goes on loan to one of the many interested clubs in La Liga.
Espanyol has unexpectedly lost three of its key players this summer: Casilla and Lucas Vazquez, who have moved to Real Madrid, and Sergio Garcia to Al-Rayyan in Qatar.