Asier Illarramendi is to get his starter status back one month after he last had it, on 7th March in Bilbao.

The nº24 player will stand in for Toni Kroos in the match against Eibar. In all probability, it will be one of the last times we will see him wearing the Real shirt, as Carlo Ancelotti can find little use for him. As things stand, he has a foot and a half out of the Bernabéu's back door. The player has realised that he does not form a part of his manager's plans. The only possibility of him getting a look-in would be if the Italian left. And if Zinedine Zidane were to replace him, all the better, as the two get on very well together.

Such musings are of course pipe dreams. The reality is that Ancelotti is going nowhere - but Illarra most certainly is. At present, the player has various offers on the table from Premier League clubs and he is deciding which one to run away with. The main contenders are Arsenal and Liverpool. Whatever happens, he looks set to play in England.

Arsenal have been after the player for some time now. Liverpool, on the other hand, are the new kids on the block and over the last few weeks their desire to take the player in has grown exponentially. The club is ready to put in a succulent offer to Real, who paid out €32 million to Real Sociedad for him back in the summer of 2013. If the two clubs reach an agreement, Illarra would love to make a move to Anfield.