Real Madrid player linked with West Ham and Leeds has been named as one of the three arrested over claims of sharing a sex tape of an underage teenage girl

A promising defender linked to West Ham and Leeds earlier this year has been named as one of three Real Madrid players arrested over a sex tape involving an underage teenage girl.

Spanish police have not yet named any of those arrested and it is unlikely that this will happen for legal reasons.

But a newspaper in Gran Canaria where the act took place that led to a video allegedly distributed on WhatsApp without the girl’s consent is among those that names one of the footballers as Raul Asencio.

The Gran Canaria-born 20-year-old player, who currently plays for Real Madrid’s reserve team Castilla, received his first call-up for the Spain Under-19s last year when he was described as the team’s ‘new prodigy’.

A Sunday People report in April stated that West Ham had spoken to Asencio’s representatives about a summer deal.

It also claimed that Leeds were ‘pursuing’ the defender and Real were ready to consider ‘a permanent move or a sale with a buy-back option’.

At the time, he played for Real Madrid’s third team in the fifth tier of La Liga.

His identification by some Spanish media coincided with other reports claiming that the arrested footballers were part of a group of four men and three women who partied together in a VIP chill-out area at the Amadores Beach Club in the Gran Canaria resort Puerto Rico in the municipality of Mogan in June, when the sex tape was allegedly recorded.

The footballer locally identified as Raul Asencio is said to have gone to the swimming pool with one of the women, while the two others remained in the VIP chill-out area with the three other Real Madrid players ‘to have consensual sex’ .

The island’s newspaper La Provincia, which unlike rival newspaper Canarias 7 did not name Asencio but gave a detailed account of the incident that led to the arrests, said: ‘Later the two women who had been left in the cold arrived… The outside area went to the swimming pool where the Gran Canaria-born player was with the other girl.

‘At that point, one of the women said she suspected one of the players had used his cell phone to record the intercourse.

‘The players involved admitted that filming had taken place, but promised to delete the content.

‘Two months after that day, two of the girls, one of whom is a minor, discovered at Amadores that the video recorded in June was being shared between WhatsApp groups.

‘Then the mother of the minor decided to press charges.’

The same report, citing ‘well-placed sources’, states that the ‘player from Gran Canaria’, whom Canarias 7 and other Spanish media have identified as Asencio, simply received the video and ‘immediately deleted it from his mobile phone’.

Spanish police confirmed late yesterday that they had arrested a Real Madrid Castilla player and two Real Madrid C players after reports of the arrests emerged.

The fourth man questioned by police, another player from Real Madrid C, Real Madrid’s second reserve team, has not been formally arrested.

None of the four have yet appeared before an investigating judge at a court in the municipality of San Bartolome de Tirajana, who is leading the ongoing investigation.

They are expected to receive a summons as soon as the judge has received the official report.

The arrests took place on Thursday at Real Madrid’s Valdebebas training ground in the Spanish capital.

None of the players are in custody.

Spanish media outlet El Confidencial, the first to break news of the arrests, has reported without yet providing any evidence to support its claims: ‘Police sources say several other players could be involved, including players from the first Real Madrid team.’

However, it is understood police are investigating whether other people are involved and officers have not ruled out further arrests.

A spokesperson for the Guardia Civil in Gran Canaria said late on Thursday: ‘A mother accompanied by her daughter under the age of 16 has reported to the police in Santa Maria de Guía in the province of Las Palmas in Gran Canaria that there are probably some recordings of her are. her daughter’s consensual sexual relations, which were recorded without her consent and which she now knows are in circulation.

‘The events in the municipality of Mogan date back to mid-June, but she says she has now heard that these images exist.’

The force added: “For this reason, Court 3 in San Bartolome de Tirajana has ordered the Guardia Civil to make several people available to the court.”

The spokesperson confirmed that none of those arrested were members of Real Madrid’s first team, saying: ‘Their mobile phones have been seized and provisionally released.

‘The arrests took place this morning. One of those arrested is a Real Madrid Castilla player and the other two are Real Madrid C players.

‘Another Real Madrid C player is under investigation.’

Real Madrid Castilla Football Club is currently managed by club legend Raul.

Gran Canaria court sources denied some reports in Spain that the men had already appeared in court and been granted bail after an appearance before a judge.

The well-placed judicial insiders said a police report was expected to be sent to a judge on Friday, who would then decide when they would be called for questioning under oath.

Real Madrid said in a statement on Thursday evening: ‘Real Madrid would like to announce that it has learned that a Castilla player and three Real Madrid C players have made statements to the Guardia Civil in connection with a complaint regarding the alleged broadcast of a private video. via WhatsApp.

“Once the club has detailed knowledge of the facts, we will take appropriate action.”

The age of consent in Spain was raised from 13 to 16 in 2015, meaning teenagers of that age can have sex, but cannot drive on Spanish roads or vote.