The rumor mill is in full flight as the world of soccer anticipates the turn of the calendar year.

One of the major subjects to fly around the rumor mill has been Iker Casillas. Real Madrid's No. 1 has re-established himself as the starter for club and country, but there are many that still feel his position is a tenuous one.

Casillas has been reportedly linked with Liverpool and Arsenal in recent weeks. The Reds are having perpetual issues in between the pipes with an inconsistent Simon Mignolet, while the Gunners are out of options due to injuries. Moreover, Arsene Wenger needs to make some big moves to get the team out of its seemingly perpetual funk to start 2014-15.

But what of Real Madrid? Why would Carlo Ancelotti get rid of the man he named his starter when he could have sold him over the summer or simply benched him?

Conspiracy theorists would say that Ancelotti is an intelligent man and handing the reins to Casillas was pre-meditated. After all, Ancelotti decided to bench Casillas in his first season as the head coach. And that is when Casillas was still arguably in solid form. After Casillas' debacle at the World Cup, many predicted the end for Spain's icon and Madrid's decision to buy the solid Keylor Navas did not help this. It would not have been shocking to see Casillas either shipped off or on the bench to start the year.

But Ancelotti shocked everyone. He made Casillas the man for the Spanish league and Champions League. He expressed confidence in his goalie and even claimed that he had erred last season when he chose Diego Lopez as the main man.

And Casillas has responded to his coach's confidence. He has not exactly been stellar all the time, but has certainly added a few notches to his belt with a Grade A performance against Barcelona and in a few other big games. The team has settled in from its woeful start (which Casillas had a lot to do with) and looked like a top side yet again.

But rumors persist that the team is interested in David de Gea and buying him from Manchester United.

On one hand, the argument could be made that Casillas' value was at an all-time low in the summer and that Ancelotti and company needed to see if he could rise to the occasion and then be sold at a higher price. After all, if Casillas faltered, Navas was waiting in the wings and would deliver. And Casillas did actually look poor early on. And still Ancelotti rode him all the way.

Now, Casillas is looking like an attractive option for teams. So does Madrid sell him or keep him through the summer?

If Manchester United is willing to sell De Gea, then it might be the smart move. De Gea is 10 years younger than his compatriot and certainly in better form.

But even if De Gea is not for sale, it might still behoove Los Blancos to sell their captain. Navas is 27 years old and one of the best goalies in the world. He is well-rested and in a position to play out the rest of the season. The team could then make a purchase in the summer for a backup or even a better starter, assuming there are any.

It could all be a ruse, however. Rumors tend to not always be right and Madrid may simply be interested in giving its long-time leader one final chance to prove himself and leave on a high.

Will Madrid sell Casillas this summer?