JUST IN: Barcelona and Atletico Madrid extended loan offers to a former Real Madrid attacker.

In the largest trade of the January window thus far, Paris Saint-Germain acquired Khvicha Kvaratskhelia from Napoli for an estimated €70 million. But it also implies that Luis Enrique’s favorite from his time in Spain is probably leaving the team this month.

Kvaratskhelia’s signing is another indication that Marco Asensio has little prospect of playing a significant role for PSG in the upcoming months, as he has already been excluded from Luis Enrique’s plans in recent months. As a result, agent Jorge Mendes is determined to find Asensio a home, most likely on a loan until the end of the current campaign.

El Chiringuito, via Sport, claims that Barcelona and Atletico Madrid have both made offers for Asensio. Mendes has close ties with both teams, and Barcelona is also searching for a forward to ideally replace Ansu Fati, another client of Jorge Mendes. Both have, however, thus far declined the opportunity to sign the Spain international.

Barcelona has Asensio on their list of possible options because they want to bolster their defense and because he can play a variety of positions, including false nine, as he shown for Spain, which may cover for Robert Lewandowski.

Given that Barcelona currently has a number of players who prefer to play between the lines and get the ball to feet rather than into space, Asensio does appear to be more of the same. Asensio might be able to play up front with a partner, but Colchoneros might argue that Angel Correa offers far more than the former Real Madrid player, who left Spain two summers ago. Diego Simeone has also mostly switched back to a four in midfield and a two up front at Atletico Madrid.