When we talk about training in Spain, we think directly of the famous Masia of FC Barcelona, or even of clubs like Athletic Club and Real Sociedad. But Real Madrid also has a high-performance training center, and many players from La Fabrica are successful across Europe. The difference, perhaps, is that the different Merengue coaches often have a little more reservations when launching young local players. Among the latest nuggets to come out of the Merengue academy, we find Nico Paz, who is a hit at Como and has already made a place for himself in the Argentine selection, or Chema Andrés, who left for Stuttgart this summer and is already very successful in the Bundesliga.
Currently, the club has some small diamonds who could be talked about in the coming years, and Merengue fans hope that they can make a career in Madrid. In addition to Gonzalo Garcia who managed to find his place in the squad, there is central defender Joan Martínez (18 years old), who trains under Xabi Alonso and who is considered a player with enormous potential by the staff and management. And according to the words of Álvaro Arbeloa, former first team player and current coach of Real Madrid Castilla, the Madrilenians count in their ranks “the best 6 in Spain”. This is Jorge Cestero, a 19-year-old defensive midfielder who plays with the club's B team.
The future of the Madrid environment?
It must be said that the player who joined the ranks of La Fabrica in 2019 is in the process of making quite a name for himself, since if Arbeloa's declarations about him have caused a buzz, the reality on the ground also abounds in the direction of a very gifted and promising player. Xabi Alonso also brought him up to A this week, in order to train alongside Kylian Mbappé and the whole gang. He is a midfielder who, inevitably, has defensive qualities, and he is also superior on a physical level, but it is especially when his team has the ball that he is most impressive. He is a superb ball handler who always makes the right choice and with a maddening maturity for his age which allows him to run the midfield practically single-handedly.
He is clearly a playmaker who plays in the back, and not just a simple defensive midfielder who is good with the ball. It is also not uncommon to see him take the initiative and win or launch into rushes with the ball. Best player for Real Madrid Castilla this season after an exceptional 2024/2025 season with the U19s, he is therefore a hit in front of the defense in Arbeloa's 4-3-3 and could, in the medium term, be a nice reinforcement for Xabi Alonso. At a time when Real Madrid is still looking for recruits in the middle and Merengue interest in Rodri (Manchester City) keeps coming back to the media, Alonso's staff could already have their reinforcements at home…
