What Does the Future Hold for Marco Asensio at Real Madrid?

Signed by Real Madrid in December 2014, Marco Asensio looks to have an extremely bright future.  

As a supremely talented teenager, he made waves in the Segunda Division with Mallorca last season, shining in an unglamorous league and at an unglamorous club, inevitably drawing the attention of Europe's elite.

After signing wth Madrid, he went on to star at the under-19 European Championship with Spain and is now on loan at Espanyol, where he's enjoying a magnificent debut season in La Liga. 

So what does the future hold for Asensio at Real Madrid? When he will take centre stage at the Santiago Bernabeu?

Below, we examine what makes him such an exciting prospect, how his season at Espanyol is unfolding and how he might fit into Real Madrid in the years to come. 

Attributes

There are an array of things that immediately grab your attention when you watch Asensio, but perhaps none more so than the speed at which he carries the ball. 

Even at top speed, Asensio has that rare quality of being able to keep the ball in tight to his feet, shielding it and manoeuvring it subtly as he blows by opponents with bursts of acceleration and changes of direction. In a sense, there's a Neymar-esque quality to it—not in a trickery kind of way, but in the manner the ball seems stuck to him and protected even at a sprint.

For the former Mallorca star, it's that obvious dynamism he packs and the way it combines with his technical quality that makes him so exciting.

Indeed, whenever you watch him, he's always lively, always buzzing around. Though it's a footballing cliche, it's nonetheless true in this case: He makes things happen. 

Possessing a wonderful left foot, Asensio's passing is crafty, incisive and has a diverse range. He can play in tight, loves a one-two and has the vision to slice open a defence, but he's not your traditional and slight-bodied No. 10. He's more than that. He's something else. His acceleration, pace and dribbling skills mean he's a No. 10 and a winger almost rolled into one—a sort of zippier version of James Rodriguez, if you like. 

Espanyol

Back in the summer, Asensio was in high demand, and not for the first time.

After being chased by a number of Europe's leading clubs in 2014 (including Barcelona) before signing with Real Madrid, he was once more at the centre of a furious race ahead of the current season when more than 20 clubs sought to sign him on loan. 

"The telephones in the Real Madrid offices have been smoking hot," said Marca at the time. 

In the end, of course, it was Espanyol who won out. "It's close to his family," said Guillem Balague to Sky Sports of Asensio's decision. 

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Yet, one of things many wondered when the move was completed was whether the destination was the right one. In the transfer market, Espanyol had lost influential winger Lucas Vazquez and goalkeeper Kiko Casilla back to Real Madrid, and leading scorer Sergio Garcia had cashed in on a strong season by going to Qatar.

Espanyol looked short on talent and perhaps set to struggle; would Asensio have the quality around him to help him develop?

But it turns out that it hasn't mattered. 

Like he did at Mallorca, Asensio has found a way to shine at Espanyol regardless of who's around him. 

Since debuting against Real Sociedad in mid-September, he's played almost every minute since and has become his side's chief creator in a No. 10 role.

Already, he has five assists—no one in the league has more—and he's rapidly become the standout player at the club, dictating play and running games. At 19. In his first top-flight season. 

It's hard to overstate how significant that is. 

Looking Ahead and Real Madrid

The remainder of the 2015-16 season will essentially be an endurance exercise for Asensio. Already he's made his talent abundantly clear, but still a teenager, the rigours of a long season in the Primera Division will be a challenge. Sustaining the excellence is always the hard part. 

But what happens at the end of it?

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Naturally, Real Madrid fans will want to see him in action at the Bernabeu in 2016-17, but it's easy to see his development stagnating in the capital in the short term. At full strength, Real Madrid don't have places for Isco and Jese, both of whom are highly regarded in Chamartin.

Admittedly, a squad shake up is entirely possible next summer, but even if that were to happen, the inexperienced Asensio would still only be on the periphery of the first XI.

Another loan spell could be necessary, but perhaps at a stronger and more enterprising outfit like Celta Vigo, who might soon need to replace the in-demand Nolito. Or Villarreal, who, in style, share many similarities with Real Madrid. 

But after that?

The possibilities feel limitless, and by 2017-18, we'll be looking at a very different Real Madrid. We'll be looking at a very different Asensio, too—an older one, a stronger one, a more experienced one. A better one. 

Already he's considered Real Madrid's next big thing, and right now, it looks only a matter of when rather than if.