Ranking Real Madrid Players at 2017 European Under-21 Championship on Potential

The UEFA European Under-21 Championship is always a great tournament to keep an eye on the up-and-coming talent from around the continent, and this year's event should be no different.

From the likes of Ruben Neves and Renato Sanches with Portugal, to Jonathan Tah with Germany and Gianluigi Donnarumma with Italy, there are senior international-standard players aplenty looking to gain experience and prove their worth.

Real Madrid, like many of Europe's big clubs, have a contingent of starlets heading to the finals in Poland; here we assess the talents of the Santiago Bernabeu quartet and rank them on just how good they might end up becoming.

All four form part of the Spain squad for the tournament.

4. Borja Mayoral

Kicking off our list is striker Borja Mayoral, the 20-year-old who has already played for Real Madrid at first-team level.

A promising young forward seen as a clinical frontman when attempting to make the jump from Castilla to Los Blancos, Mayoral played six times in La Liga in 2015/16.

Despite hitting eight goals in the UEFA Youth League that term, and 15 for Castilla, he couldn't translate that scoring prowess to the senior level, where he has so far failed to net for Madrid.

Of course, game time has been at a premium, but he played for 45 minutes or more against Levante, Celta Vigo and Real Sociedad, as well as Atletico Madrid, and might have expected—or certainly hoped—to find the target against one of those first three opponents.

In 2016/17, Mayoral was loaned out to gain valuable game-time experience, but his move to the Bundesliga didn't go as hoped.

The young forward failed to break into the first XI at Wolfsburg, not even making the bench for the first five games and having to wait until December to play more than 45 minutes of any game.

Mayoral scored just twice, in defeats against Hertha Berlin and Werder Bremen, and he didn't play a single minute of the final four regular-season matches or the two-legged relegation playoff, which saw Wolfsburg stay up after beating Eintracht Braunschweig without his help.

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A wasted year? Perhaps only in the short term. Still only 20, a positive loan spell in La Liga next year could help him rediscover his confidence and scoring ability, while the experience of living and playing abroad should always be seen as a positive.

Mayoral is down the list in terms of likelihood to cut it at Madrid, but there's still plenty of time to develop.

3. Jesus Vallejo

Jesus Vallejo was also in Germany, but his loan spell at Eintracht Frankfurt went far better.

The centre-back made 20 Bundesliga starts in a row before injuries hampered his end-of-season contribution. Ultimately, he played 27 times in all competitions as his side finished 11th and reached the DFB-Pokal final.

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That spell in the team was more than enough to convince fans and journalists alike of his immense worth and potential, and Real Madrid were also watching his development closely.

With Pepe set to depart the Bernabeu, Vallejo has been instructed to report back with Real Madrid's first team for pre-season, as manager Zinedine Zidane looks to take a closer look and decide whether the 20-year-old should become a squad option for next term, per Sergio Santos Chozas of AS.

Vallejo is one of the youngest in the Spain under-21 squad for the tournament, which, due to eligibility rules, incorporates players up to 23 years of age. But he will likely play a prominent role for the side run by Albert Celades—himself a former Real Madrid player.

Unlike Mayoral, Vallejo has yet to play for Real's first team, after spending the 2015/16 season on loan at Real Zaragoza from whom Los Blancos originally signed the defender.

2. Marcos Llorente

Versatile, aggressive, technically sound and extremely impressive in Spain's top flight, Marcos Llorente edges ahead of Vallejo in our ranking after a stunning campaign on loan at Deportivo Alaves.

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 Marcos Llorente won more 2016/17 tackles & intercepts than Casemiro, Kante, Busquets, Pogba, Vidal, Xabi, Gabi, Verratti, Weigl & Bakayobo pic.twitter.com/YmcQRL1cNu

— M•A•J (@UltraSuristic_) June 8, 2017"

The holding midfielder—who can also feature in defence—was consistent throughout the season, and he was a vital component of Alaves' XI as they secured a top-half finish. He played 32 games in La Liga and won acclaim not just from Real fans but from those who remain convinced he can play a part for Zidane's team next season.

Spanish football writer Simon Harrison suggested in his column for The Sportsman that Zidane has a real dilemma this summer, as "one calculated step back has moved Marcos Llorente two huge strides forwards."

Per Marca, Llorente suggested he was "at a competitive level of Toni Kroos, Luka Modric or Casemiro," but he acknowledged the route taken by the likes of Dani Carvajal, Alvaro Morata and Lucas Vazquez—to leave, play elsewhere and then return—was one he'd have to follow.

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Now aged 22, he has top-flight experience, more maturity than teenagers trying to break through and the acclaim of the fans.

A good showing in a pivotal role at the Euros might just seal Llorente's involvement with Real Madrid next season.

1. Marco Asensio

There's no question over the No. 1-ranked player, though.

While Mayoral has work to do and Vallejo and Llorente will be aiming to be involved as back-ups, Marco Asensio is already a big squad player in Zidane's first team in his own right.

A stunning start to 2016/17 ensured he would be involved all season, and if the mid-year dip in form he suffered was to be expected, so too was the resurgence in form towards the end of the campaign.

Asensio scored 10 in all competitions, proved as impressive as an impact sub as a starter, and he filled a variety of roles during the season—left midfield, inside-right forward, attacking midfielder and even central midfielder at one point.

A haul of 38 appearances yielded almost 2,000 minutes of game time, not a first-XI tally but certainly an enormous amount for a 21-year-old and more than the likes of Morata, James Rodriguez or Pepe.

He has all the ability in the world; great individual skill to go with his passing and vision, execution of shots from inside or outside the box, hard work and a good turn of pace.

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It will now be about constant progression and finding consistency for Asensio, working bit by bit to become a player Zidane can trust on a week-to-week basis. Backward steps are inevitable, but bigger forward leaps can be anticipated.

Asensio is already a senior international with Spain, and the assumption is that he will play a starring role for the under-21s this summer.

Next year and beyond, however, his future with Real Madrid is already certain.