Real Madrid youngster cuts short loan and drops into Segunda for more minutes

Once the gem of La Fabrica, holding midfielder Antonio Blanco has had a tricky time of it of late.

The 22-year-old was a rising star at Real Madrid through the youth ranks and at Real Madrid Castilla, but his development has stalled when he was supposed to make the jump to the first team.

In the summer Blanco left Real Madrid for Cadiz, hoping a loan move could kickstart his career, or at least earn him some minutes, as Victor Chust has done. Yet he has been a non-factor for Sergio Gonzalez, playing just 159 minutes and starting just twice this season.

As a result, he has cut short his loan with Cadiz, due to run until the end of the season, and joined Alaves instead. Dropping down a division, Luis Garcia Plaza’s are aiming for promotion this season and sit just three points off top spot in fourth.

While Blanco is not old, his advancing years and lack of development mean triumph at the Santiago Bernabeu looks like an unlikely prospect. However Real Madrid pride themselves on their ability to sell on and if they perform well enough, buy back their youth products, both at decent prices. A strong second half of the season could change Blanco’s trajectory.