Real Madrid youngster Marco Asensio is ready to challenge for a first-team place in the coming season, according to his former Real Mallorca coach Jose Luis Oltra.
Asensio joined Madrid for €3.7 million in January 2015 aged 18 from Mallorca, and then impressed hugely when spending the 2015-16 season on loan at Espanyol, even making his senior Spain debut in a friendly against Bosnia and Herzegovina last May.
The Palma-born playmaker, 20, is currently on tour with Zinedine Zidane's first team in the United States, and has starred during both Los Blancos' outings so far against Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea.
His displays have reportedly led to a rethink of Madrid's plan to send the youngster on loan again for 2016-17, especially with claims the club are looking to sell winger Jese Rodriguez and two of midfielders James Rodriguez, Isco and Mateo Kovacic in the coming weeks.
Today's @diarioas front page: "Asensio convinces Zidane" - but either James or Isco will have to make way pic.twitter.com/TuHrTDSWRj
- AS English (@English_AS) August 1, 2016
With many senior stars including Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale and Toni Kroos yet to fully return to training following Euro 2016, and injury concerns over Karim Benzema and Isco, Asensio could start next Tuesday's UEFA Super Cup against Sevilla in Trondheim.
Speaking to Marca, Oltra said that it was difficult to break into Madrid's star-studded XI, but he saw Asensio as capable of being an important squad member at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu.
"Madrid have so many big names," Oltra said. "In the squad for sure he has a place, on the pitch it depends on circumstances and the work he puts in. I believe everything is happening in a hurry, but for me he has a place in the 23."
Recently retired Spain coach Vicente del Bosque recently called Asensio "the most promising Spanish talent."
Oltra said that even as he gave the then-17-year-old his senior debut during a 2013-14 season in which Mallorca struggled in the Segunda Division it was clear he was going to go far.
"Marco stood out immediately, he could beat a player, had technical quality, scored goals, took set-pieces... you could play him either left or right, he was incredible," the current Cordoba coach said.
"I did not want to burn him out, I wanted to protect him. He was very young, just 17. Now I think I should have used him more, he would have helped us for sure. His own teammates would tell me I had to pick him as he was so good. He naturally took responsibility, on and off the pitch. I remember with us he was quickly taking the free kicks."