Real Madrid: Latest on Marco Asensio, Lucas Silva and Christoph Kramer

The injury to Luka Modric reportedly has manager Carlo Ancelotti scrambling to find another midfielder to add to his squad in the January transfer window, as Real Madrid continue their push for silverware in 2015.

Los Blancos sit at the top of the La Liga standings and have already qualified for the last 16 of the UEFA Champions League, but Modric's injury will be felt in the coming months. As such, it's little wonder plenty of big names are being linked with a move to the Bernabeu.

Real don't need an impact starter—young talent will take priority, giving Ancelotti yet another piece to work with for the foreseeable future.

Marco Asensio

Arguably Spain's top talent out wide, 18-year-old Marco Asensio won't be joining Los Blancos in January, according to Real Madrid's own manager. As shared by the club's official Twitter feed, he confirmed he has plans for the youngster once the summer comes around:

The Real Mallorca man seems all but certain to join Los Blancos, as he told Pedro Fullana of AS there is already an agreement in place between club and player:

"

We will see what happens this week because in this club anything can happen. Real Madrid have decided and I am really happy. I’m looking forward to seeing the finalisation of the deal in order to make everyone calmer – the club, me, and Real Madrid.

It is an honour that the best clubs are fixed on me and the best is Real Madrid. The agreement is for five seasons and now, to enjoy.

"

Asensio is supremely talented, combining pace and strength with a large bag of trickery. But he's also far from a finished product, and he plays at a position where Real already boast a lot of depth.

Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale, Isco and James Rodriguez all do their best work in a wide role—no matter how talented you are, it's nearly impossible to find some consistent playing time with that much competition, even if Isco is being moved to a central role.

Asensio will likely move to Real Madrid Castilla in the summer of 2015, where he will have all the time in the world to continue his development.

Lucas Silva

Pedro Vilela/Getty Images

Not a week goes by without Cruzeiro's Lucas Silva being linked with a move to the Spanish capital, and unsurprisingly, he's one of the names listed by Marca as a potential reinforcement come January.

The 21-year-old is on the verge of breaking into the Brazilian national team and has impressed greatly in the country's national league over the past two seasons, drawing comparisons to AC Milan great and former Blanco Kaka.

Interest in his services is high, with his manager Luiz Rocha confirming Manchester United have already made an approach, according to Metro's Jamie Sanderson:

"There aren't many details. I confirm I was contacted by people linked to Manchester United. There are no official bids. We are waiting."

Marca claim Florentino Perez is willing to make the youngster the club's latest addition if Cruzeiro's asking price is under €10 million, and such a fee would be an absolute bargain.

In fact, it seems very doubtful the Brazilian club would settle for such a low offer. Silva is a pivotal player for Cruzeiro, and with United reportedly lurking, there's every possibility the price will sky-rocket as a result.

Christoph Kramer

Michael Sohn/Associated Press

Another rising star linked with a move to Real is Germany's Christoph Kramer, who currently plays for Borussia Monchengladbach, on loan from Bayern Leverkusen.

The 23-year-old Germany international has spent the last several seasons out on loan and could be ready to move on from Leverkusen, and after a solid 2013-14 campaign, the potential suitors are already lining up.

Marca name Real Madrid as a destination, but Kramer previously told the Berliner Morgenpost (h/t Daily Star's Alex Harris) he could be interested in a move to the Premier League, although Madrid's interest flattered him:

"

That has always interested me. I would not be afraid of (going abroad). I want to find out what my limit is and I always strive for the very best.

[...] I wish I had cut out and hung that article on my wall.  To be linked with Real Madrid is an enormous honour for me.

"

Kramer is remarkably tall for the position, but like Sami Khedira, he has built his game around his vision and passing ability rather than his physical stature.

As talented as he is, he's yet to take over the starting role with the national team from the current Real Madrid man, and one has to wonder how much he could contribute at this stage of his career.

Kramer could be an interesting buy as a long-term project, but Leverkusen will likely demand a significant fee, particularly given the interest from the Premier League, per Harris.

The prospect of more playing time will certainly appeal to Kramer, who at this stage seems more likely to pass on a move to Madrid in favour of an English adventure.

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