Manchester United have reportedly been told they'll need to fork out 44 million (38 million) if they're to sign Real Madrid's Marco Asensio this summer. Elsewhere, Arsenal are said to be chasing a deal to sign Michael Carrick.According to theDaily Star (h/tSport), Los Blancos have placed the major price tag on 21-year-old starlet Asensio after he's impressed in his first senior season as a senior Real Madrid player.The attacking midfielder impressed while on loan at Espanyol last season and has dazzled when offered his chances in manager Zinedine Zidane's lineup this term, scoring seven goals in 23 games across all competitions.That being said, 38 million strikes as a massive fee to pay for a player who has just a season-and-a-half of top-flight football under his belt, and Yahoo's Andrew Gaffney recently said there are inconsistencies in his play:Asensio has also made a steady rise through Spain's international youth ranks and lit up both the under-19 and under-21 teams before earning his senior debut against Bosnia and Herzegovina last May.United manager Jose Mourinho spent big last summer and may do so again in 2017 after recently hinting he's preparing to chase more realistic transfer targets than some of his Old Trafford predecessors, per BBC Sport:"I know what I want and I am very realistic," he said. "I know what are the impossible targets and I don't like my club to participate in them.It is a waste of time. It is a gift to the agents to help them improve their situation."Asensio could be determined to fall under that category, although with the likes of Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Paul Pogba and Juan Mata already thriving in midfield, there's a question as to whether United will have room for his services.One figure who could leave the club to free up space is 35-year-old Carrick, whom The Sun's Mike McGrath reported will be a target for Arsenal this summer.Carrick will turn 36 before the start of next season and has played 19 times for the Red Devils this season, but the FullTimeDevils recently discussed potential replacements as the club gear up for a potential summer exit:Carrick's contract expires at the end of this season, meaning the club will have little to no say in where he ends up, and Mourinho may be unhappy if rival manager Arsene Wenger got his hands on the playmaker.It works in United's favour that they already boast an array of quality midfield options, and Samuel Luckhurst of theManchester Evening News argued no replacement could be needed this summer due to current tactics:That being said, Mourinho did recently suggest he's ready to let the veteran leave in quotes provided by McGrath: "Look, lets be honest, I see many positive things in Carrick but I cannot go to his identity cards and delete five years. He is [sic] 35, he is not 30."Although Carrick is still an effective tool when fit, it seems this summer will finally see the two parties go their separate ways, with Wenger's Arsenal reportedly hoping to pounce.Read more World Football news on BleacherReport.com
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