Real Madrid is stacked at the forward position.

With Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema manning the front line, other players such as Javier Hernandez and Jese Rodriguez have struggled to find consistent playing time.

While Hernandez is likely gone at the end of the season, Jese remains a crucial part of the team and could be a replacement over the long run for one of the aforementioned members of the famed BBC (Bale, Benzema, Cristiano Ronaldo).

But at age 22, Jese needs playing time in order to develop fully. If he is struggling to find time now, imagine how much more difficult things will get when James Rodriguez and Luka Modric are back from injury. Then the bench will likely be his permanent stamping grounds.

Which is why there are rumors that the youngster could be sent out on loan and follow in the footsteps of Casemiro, Alvaro Morata and Denis Cheryshev.

But there is a twist as Jese is not only seen as wielding more superstar potential and he may ultimately learn a greater deal from working in training with the likes of Ronaldo and Bale. After all, if he is to ultimately transform into the replacement for one of these superstars, then he would benefit from studying them up close and personal.

So where is Jese now in his development? Is it time to let him go elsewhere for a while or is he ready to break out?

The book, unfortunately, is not particularly extensive on the youngster. Since 2011-12, he has totaled 861 minutes in the Spanish League and Champions League (obviously more time when the Copa del Rey is factored in). In that briefest of time, he has put up six goals and five assists in a total of 32 appearances; only six of those appearances featured him as a starter and none have come in 2014-15.

For Jese, his tenure could have been further along if not for a devastating injury that he suffered last season in the early winter.

Jese has not showcased himself as an excellent passer, completing just under 80 percent of his passes throughout his career at Madrid. Defensively, there is unfortunately little of note for the Spaniard as he averages 0.5 tackles per game and minimal amounts of interceptions and clearances, as well.

He is not expected to defense or string together decisive passes. Instead, he is expected to utilize his blazing speed (he might be the fastest runner on the team) to dribble past opposition and create scoring chances. This season he has averaged 1.1 dribbles per game and has been rarely dispossessed (0.3 times per game as opposed to his career average of 0.6).

With his kind of talent, finding first team time could allow the youngster to build the confidence and the in-game know-how that would eventually allow him to flourish at Madrid. Jese is also a speed demon and Madrid is not playing a counterattacking style that allows him to use the full range of his speed.

But one can see the hesitance to allow him time at another club.

Ronaldo's knee has been a cause for concern in the last few months and other injuries are inevitable it seems. James Rodriguez is not due back just yet and neither is Modric, leaving Jese as a potential replacement that could step in and relieve some pressure from Ronaldo and thus let him rest up for the stretch run. He is a like-for-like replacement, thus allowing coach Carlo Ancelotti to sustain his game plan without worrying about how a different style of player might alter his structure.

Should Real Madrid let Jese go out on loan? Let us know in the comments section below.


All statistics are from WhoScored.com.