Once a Derby back-up, Mascarell now linked with £13m Real Madrid move

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Former Derby County loanee Omar Mascarell has been linked with a return to Real Madrid.

According to reports in Spanish publication AS, Real Madrid will look to make Omar Mascarell their first signing this summer as they seek to bring him back for a reported £13 million fee.

The talented holding midfielder is currently plying his trade at Eintracht Frankfurt, but he has had a stint in England as he spent a season on loan at Championship club Derby County.

The Rams had just missed out on a spot in the Premier League as they lost 1-0 to Queens Park Rangers in the play-off final, and under then-manager Steve McClaren they looked to regroup and go again.

The club spent most of their budget on George Thorne, but an unfortunate long-term ligament injury suffered in a pre-season game prompted the club to look abroad and bring in Mascarell on season-long loan.

The 25-year-old was evidently a talented player, but his sleek physique and lack of first-team experience meant Championship football was always going to be a big test in such a commanding role.

As a result, Mascarell often found himself acting as John Eustace’s understudy, with Derby preferring the former Watford’s man’s natural defensive instincts to cover for the likes of Will Hughes, Jeff Hendrick and Craig Bryson.

Ultimately Mascarell’s season was cut short by injury as he featured just 23 times while Derby’s 2014/15 promotion bid failed in quite spectacular fashion, missing out on the play-offs altogether.

Most Derby fans felt that, despite being a decent player, signing him on a permanent deal would not have made much sense with Thorne returning to action and Chris Baird coming in on a free transfer in the summer of 2015.

Fast forward three years and, after a successful spell in Germany, the Tenerife-born midfielder is now being lined up with a return to the Santiago Bernabeu in a deal worth a reported £13 million.

Mascarell will follow the likes of Michael Keane and Jesse Lingaard as players who struggled to make a real impact at Pride Park while on loan, only to go on to achieve success at a much higher level.