Where Could Marco Asensio Rank Among Real Madrid's U21 Signings of Last Decade?

Think of Real Madrid and transfers, and the usual associations would be with the highest-value, biggest-name players who had been brought to the club in the primes of their respective careers: Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale in the present team, Kaka and Robinho from the previous decade or, going back further, the likes of Luis Figo, Ronaldo and even current head coach Zinedine Zidane.

It isn't always and exclusively the way, however; Real have often attempted to top up the squad with exciting and upcoming early 20-somethings and even looked to outright youth to grow with the club—though the latter category is certainly not a regular pond to fish in of late.

Marco Asensio's fast start to life at the Santiago Bernabeu might just change that, though, with the former Mallorca man playing a starring role in the early weeks of 2016/17 after impressing in pre-season and winning a spot in Zidane's XI thanks to injuries to Karim Benzema and Ronaldo.

After a loan spell at Espanyol last term, Asensio is quickly showing he can handle the step up in quality, and he could feasibly be among the best under-21 signings Real Madrid have made in the last decade.

Asensio's Star Start

Most of Real Madrid's stars-in-waiting tend to be players who have come through the B team, Castilla, having either been brought in at a very young age or having progressed through La Fabrica.

Asensio bucks the trend in that regard, but more importantly, he has also done so with the speed of his progress in moving from a player who was loaned out to one Zidane actively wants to have involved with his squad.

Playing both as a No. 10 and from the left side for Espanyol last season, Asensio showed he has the quality to make an impact in LaLiga, and it was originally expected he would enjoy another campaign away from the Bernabeu this term.

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Ivan Molero of AS reported Espanyol were interested in retaking him for 2016/17 while Real Madrid chased a succession of midfielders to add to their squad.

One of those was Andre Gomes, who subsequently signed for rivals Barcelona. This writer said at the time that Asensio should be an alternative, promoting from within rather than buying in at great cost for what was essentially the same role and possible performance level.

Starting the UEFA Super Cup and the opening two Primera Division fixtures has shown just how impressive Asensio has been since returning to the club, and his upward trajectory will only continue with more game time.

Bad Batch

As might be expected, not all of Real Madrid's U21 signings have been a success.

Four can be considered outright failures—though not all were signed to immediately have an impact on the first team and perhaps never truly looked of the level required in any case.

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Royston Drenthe is perhaps the biggest example of a huge team getting a player's capacity to handle top-tier football badly wrong, with the now-29-year-old without a club after short-term spells at each of Reading, Spartak Vladikavkaz and Baniyas SC of the UAE Gulf League.

Elsewhere, there were underwhelming spells for Esteban Granero and Javi Garcia, while Lucas Silva has yet to impress in Europe, either at Real Madrid or on loan in France. Currently overcoming a heart issue that was discovered during a medical in the summer, Silva's future is uncertain.

Too Soon

While Asensio has arguably already surpassed that first group, the next crop of players is perhaps the most difficult to avoid being a part of for any young player, let alone those at Real Madrid: the players who impress and for whom the fans have high hopes but ultimately fail to show the consistency or progression required.

Any number of reasons can lead to players not fulfilling their potential at Real, from internal politics and favouritism to hitting a ceiling or not developing physically. Sergio Canales suffered with the latter, a succession of injuries still hampering him even now he's with Real Sociedad. 

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Ezequiel Garay looked for all the world as though he should have been an excellent addition. The centre-back has gone on to be a force with the likes of Benfica and Zenit Saint Petersburg, but reaching the very top? Not quite, and certainly not at Real Madrid.

Fernando Gago perhaps also fits this category for his Madrid days. Mateo Kovacic is in the squad, battling to escape the didn't-quite-make-it crowd during his second season at the Santiago Bernabeu, having signed from Inter Milan just over a year ago as a 21-year-old.

Lasting Impact

Approaching the top of the tree, the choices narrow, but Real Madrid have had more than one definite success with signing young players—two of which make up a core part of Zidane's first XI this season. 

Dani Carvajal and Raphael Varane form half of Real Madrid's current defensive line, and both have enjoyed several seasons in white already, with plenty more ahead if they maintain form and fitness.

Gonzalo Higuain spent several seasons battling for a first-team berth, and though he didn't quite hit the levels he has done since leaving Real Madrid in 2013, he was still an excellent signing for output and value and, ultimately, sell-on fee.

Asensio looks to have the ability to reach this level of player, but coaching, learning and fortune will play a part.

The Chosen Few

Finally, the group all aspire to join: the elite, the guaranteed starters, the sought-after few.

Of Real Madrid's under-21 signings of the last decade, only three can claim to have been so impressive in every area that they fit the bill, with two remaining at the club as testament to their service and quality.

Benzema and Marcelo have shown longevity as well as ability, while Mesut Ozil landed the club a £42.4 million fee when he moved to Arsenal after exploding onto the worldwide scene during his time with the club.

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Three top-tier signings out of well over a dozen over a 10-year span is not a tremendous return—but therein lies the risk of signing younger talents and hoping to help them develop.

So many potential obstacles are in starlets' paths—injury, as with Canales, positional rivals, as with Varane, and individual ceilings, as with Drenthe—that it's a completely natural state of affairs when most signings don't work out as hoped.

Asensio is only at the beginning of his career in a Real Madrid shirt and has a long way to go to establish himself as a regular member of the team, particularly once Ronaldo and Benzema return to fitness, but he certainly has the technique and overall on-pitch quality to warrant his opportunity.

Fast-forward a few seasons, and we could certainly be looking at a fourth young talent signed by the Madrid club who didn't just come good and make an impact but was among the highest-rated talents in world football.

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