Real Sociedad defender Inigo Martinez has revealed that he is desperate for the Basque outfit to re-sign Asier Illarramendi this summer.

Illarramendi, 25, swapped Sociedad for Real Madrid in the summer of 2013, but the midfielder has struggled to make his mark at the Bernabeu.

A recent report claimed that Sociedad are close to re-signing the Spaniard and Martinez has welcomed the move.

"You can't doubt Illarramendi's quality. He had a great year here and he's the type of player that every team, including ours, would love to have," Martinez told reporters.

"Playing with Illarra changed many things, if a team like Real Madrid paid that much for him, it's for a reason and he gives a lot to that team. La Real could really use a player like him."

Illarramendi has also been linked with a move to Liverpool.