With the La Liga due to restart in less than a month’s time, Calcio Insider looks into two young players, who could make a lasting impression next season. Clubs like Real Madrid and Barcelona lead the way in terms of the production line, but very few have progressed to become top-class prospects. Taking this into account, we gaze into a couple of players, who could make a mark with their respective clubs next term.
Marco Asensio – Real Madrid: The 21-year-old managed to hold onto a first-team role at Real Madrid last term after he impressed in his stint with Espanyol in the season before. The former Mallorca man was more of an unknown to the football fraternity until he made his full Spain debut against Switzerland in May last year. Surprisingly, Asensio started the game from the off, and there was something in the youngster which captured the attention of Premier League clubs. Asensio played backup to the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale and Isco last season, but he nevertheless managed 10 goals in 38 outings. Asensio also starred for the Spain Under 21s at the Euros this summer where he notched a brilliant hat-trick against Macedonia in their opening game. The youngster is due to hold crunch talks with Zinedine Zidane on his return to pre-season training, and he is likely to want assurances of an extended run in addition to an improved contract.
Theo Hernandez – Real Madrid: The 19-year-old made the surprise decision to swap Atletico Madrid for their cross-city rivals. Theo enjoyed a superb 2016-17 season on loan at Alaves who reached the final of the Copa del Rey before losing out to Barcelona. As a result of his performances, he had attracted interest from Barcelona and Bayern Munich but Real Madrid saw the potential in the player to progress at the highest level. Marcelo is clearly the first-choice left-back at Los Blancos, but Theo will earn his chances through the season with his dynamism and potential to push forward being a highlight of his style of play. The teenager has represented France at every youth level but he surprisingly ignored their recent callup as he aims to represent his adopted country in Spain.
Image – Getty
