<
>

Real Madrid midfielder Marcos Llorente extends contract until 2021

Real Madrid midfielder Marcos Llorente has extended his contract with the Spanish champions until 2021.

Llorente, 22, came through Madrid's Castilla youth team and made his first team debut under then-coach Rafa Benitez in 2014. He spent last year on loan at Alaves

"I'm very happy about renewing my contract," he told the club's official website. "I hope that we can enjoy big titles this year and in years to come."

Coach Zinedine Zidane decided to send the Spain under-21 international on loan for last season but added him to his first-team squad this time around, and the midfielder has played three times.

Llorente comes from a famous Bernabeu family, with his father Paco Llorente and grandfather Ramon Moreno Grosso having played for Madrid, while his great-uncle is legendary winger Paco Gento.

"When I return to Madrid I want to have a chance to win a place in the team, to be a starter," he said last season when his loan to Alaves was confirmed.

"I don't want to be on the bench, in case somebody gets injured or something happens. I want to fight for a place. I don't want to be the new Casemiro, or the new [Toni] Kroos, I want to be Marcos Llorente."

Information from Madrid correspondent Dermot Corrigan was used in this report.