Reported Illarramendi Exit Timely Real Madrid Warning for Martin Odegaard, Silva

Back in the summer of 2013, everything was turning Spanish at Real Madrid. Having endured Barcelona's La Masia-built dominance of Europe, Florentino Perez wanted to inject some kind-of-homegrown blood into the Los Blancos squad.

Dani Carvajal, who had left the year before, was summoned back from Bayer Leverkusen, Isco was picked up from Malaga and Asier Illarramendi checked in from Real Sociedad.

Money was also thrown at Tottenham Hotspur's Gareth Bale and Carlo Ancelotti was tasked with mixing a group of hungry young Spaniards with Madrid's Galacticos.

It's been a relative success, as well—the Copa del Rey and the Champions League were secured last season—although while Carvajal and Isco have been flourishing, Illarramendi has been veering dangerously close to the Sergio Canales category.

When La Real finished fourth in the league in 2012, they were sensational in the second half of the season. There was something almost un-Spanish about the way they swatted teams aside in a blustering manner. At the beginning of every attack was Illarramendi in midfield—the new Xabi Alonso.

But his chances have been limited at the Bernabeu. Even with Luka Modric injured at the moment, Isco has been hoisted into a deeper midfield role to avoid Illarramendi playing.

Abdeljalil Bounhar/Associated Press

Gonzalo Arroyo Moreno/Getty Images

Now there is genuine interest from Athletic Club, per Miguel Perez of SPORT. Despite his history with their Basque rivals, Real Sociedad, the 24-year-old may be prepared to swap the capital for a move north.

It is a timely warning for Real Madrid's new recruits. A deal to sign Mallorca's teenage sensation Marco Asensio was agreed last year, while the world's most wanted 16-year-old, Martin Odegaard, was presented at Valdebebas on Thursday, per the BBC.

Brazilian midfielder Lucas Silva has now joined as well, and he could be the signing which frees up Illarramendi to leave the club.

Through no fault of his own does Illarramendi find himself in this position. There have been no reports of him getting too big for his boots after signing for Madrid; no comical performances; and no word from the fans that they want him to leave.

Perhaps it's a case that he's simply not good enough—Ancelotti's judgment is worth trusting—but he hasn't been given a run of games to build confidence at a club where confidence can be everything.

In the meantime, Madrid's focus has shifted.

Pete Jenson has suggested in The Independent that President Perez's new obsession is finding the next Galactico before they're a Galactico—saving himself money, but also having Madrid take the credit for the player's development.

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Denis Doyle/Getty Images

Odegaard and Asensio fall into this category, the former particularly. Courted by half of Europe according to The Telegraph, it was Madrid who eventually won his heart.

He'll fall into the Zinedine Zidane's Castilla side to start with, and while there has been criticism that Madrid are not good at developing players, that isn't strictly true.

In the '80s their team was nicknamed on the back of five homegrown players; even recently they have played a part in the progression of the likes of Juan Mata, Roberto Soldado and Alvaro Negredo.

Who knows how good Jese Rodriguez will be?

However, if there becomes a time when it looks like Odegaard will not be the new Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi—however good he is, replicating their levels will be tough—then the club will waste no time in moving him on.

Just because he's good at 16, doesn't mean he'll still be good when he leaves his teens behind. Just because he's signed for Real Madrid, it doesn't mean he's a superstar.

Ask Canales.

Ask Illarramendi.