“When you are not doing well economically, you have to take people from below, it’s logical. In the end, (last summer) Real Madrid had a shot at Jude (Bellingham), one of the best in the world, and we had to buy him. That closes the door on Sergio Arribas.”
These were the words of the Madrid right-back Dani Carvajal in a recent interview on Spanish radio. Carvajal had been asked about Barcelona’s latest bright young talents, with Lamine Yamal, 16, and Pau Cubarsi, 17, both involved in the latest Spain squad alongside him.
While Barcelona’s youth academy is set up with the specific ambition of forming players for the first team — shaped as they are towards Barca’s style of play — Madrid’s focus is different. It’s reflected in their nicknames, too.
If ‘La Masia’ (often translated as ‘farmhouse’ but best described as a rural dwelling particular to the east of Spain) paints a portrait of family ties, ‘La Fabrica’ (The Factory) has connotations of industrialised efficiency.
The football education Madrid’s youngsters receive is — as described by those who work at the academy — more oriented towards versatility, resilience and being able to adjust to several different tactical styles. The goal is to train youngsters capable of making it in the professional game and more often than not, that means them playing away from Madrid.
In a November 2023 study by the International Centre for Sports Studies, Real Madrid were found to be the club that had produced the greatest number of active players in Europe’s top five leagues, with 44.
Arribas, the 22-year-old attacking midfielder referenced by Carvajal, is one of them. He was highly rated at Madrid but was sold to Almeria in August — though Los Blancos have a 50 per cent sell-on clause and right of first refusal to buy him back.
Nacho, now 34, is the only member of the Madrid squad to have come through directly from the club’s academy. Federico Valverde, Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo each spent some time with Real Madrid Castilla — the club’s reserve side made up of youth players — but they cannot be considered youth academy products as such.
Lucas Vazquez, Fran Garcia and Joselu are other homegrown players. The difference is they all ended up in the first team via a different path — what has become known as the Carvajal route (via Carvajal).
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This essentially involves leaving the club in the hope of later returning — just as the long-time right-back did when Madrid re-signed him from Bayer Leverkusen on a €6.5million (£5.6m; $7m) buy-back clause in 2013. Since then, Carvajal has made 407 appearances and lifted 23 trophies.
When Madrid sell a youth player, they almost always push for favourable terms that give them a future option on repurchasing them, as with with Arribas. But big competition for first-team spots and the club’s commitment to signing the best young foreign stars have only reinforced the pressures that make achieving what Nacho did all the more difficult today.
For some time now, agents, family members and even youth-team coaches at Valdebebas have reflected on the situation that has come to dominate reality at La Fabrica: the main objective is to become professionals because only a very, very small percentage of players make it to the Madrid squad.
That understanding is deeply ingrained in the way Real Madrid’s youngsters see their own careers progressing, too. They all dream of making it to the first team — but many are aware that it remains a tough thing to achieve and several of La Fabrica’s brightest prospects are already considering their futures as the 2023-24 season approaches its final stages.
Here, The Athletic looks at the most compelling cases.
The Real Madrid Castilla captain, 20, is well-liked by his manager Raul (the legendary former club striker) but also first-team boss Carlo Ancelotti. The Italian has mentioned to those closest to him that he sees the defensive midfielder as being ready to play in the elite. Ancelotti gave Martin his senior debut in the final stages of an extra-time Copa del Rey win against Atletico Madrid in January 2023.
Martin stands out for his reading of the game, his calmness with the ball and his ability to combine with others. Sources at Valdebebas consider him to be one of the Castilla players who should make the jump to La Liga next season. However, his future at Madrid is unclear.
Martin, right, has impressed in training with Ancelotti’s group (Diego Souto/Getty Images)
Martin has a contract until 2026 and there are plans for him to take part in the US tour during pre-season, but competition for a place in Ancelotti’s midfield is so fierce that an opportunity might better be found elsewhere. The Spanish player recently changed agency, joining Best of You, and clubs including Girona have been tracking him for months.
According to those who know him, although his dream is to play for Real his situation might also be closely informed by whether Luka Modric stays on for another year and whether Dani Ceballos remains at the club. Ceballos, 27, has only made four starts for Madrid this season.
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But, in general, Madrid prefer it if players spend at least three years with Castilla and Martin is in his second season with the side.
Manuel Angel
Another key player in Raul’s Castilla — who have struggled in Spain’s third tier this season (they are 13th) despite making the promotion play-offs last term — is Manuel Angel.
The 20-year-old has also been playing for Madrid’s UEFA Youth League side under Alvaro Arbeloa. He joined La Fabrica in 2018 from Sevilla’s youth academy and his contract expires in 2025.
Manuel Angel is another to have impressed in the UEFA Youth League (Diego Souto/Getty Images)
‘Mami’, as he’s affectionately known, is a midfielder with a very slight frame, which he more than makes up for with clever positioning, grit and exquisite control. His character has earned him the affection and admiration of all the coaches who have worked with him at Madrid, but he has seen little sight of the first team, only taking part in a handful of training sessions.
For this reason, his representatives plan to talk to the club at the end of the season to see what role they offer the player in the future.
At the moment, Manuel Angel is enjoying his first season in Castilla and wants to listen to the club first, but other destinations are not ruled out.
Rafa Obrador
Obrador is a left-back who stands out for his attacking skill— who, unlike other talents from La Fabrica, would not suffer from increased physical demands at the elite level. He is seen as another who could make the step up to La Liga next season, but his contract with Madrid ends this summer and his future looks uncertain.
The 20-year-old has had a less active role in Raul’s Castilla side over recent months, but sources close to the player — speaking on the condition of anonymity to protect relationships — say this is “something normal in football” and they still contemplate a renewal, a loan away or a permanent move with Madrid retaining re-purchasing rights.
Obrador, in action for Castilla in January (Diego Souto/Getty Images)
But with Madrid looking at the possible arrival of Alphonso Davies (and with Girona’s Miguel Gutierrez also being watched — another academy graduate), a place in the first team seems almost impossible, for now.
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Paulo Iago
This 16-year-old attacking midfielder has been playing two levels above his age group, such is his technical talent and self-confidence. Last week, he featured with Real Madrid C, who play in Spain’s fifth tier, two below Castilla.
Iago has regularly been called up to Spain’s youth teams and last summer renewed his Madrid contract until 2025 after a period of uncertainty and doubts about his future. But now, according to sources close to the player, he is unhappy. He feels that he has not been offered a project that enables him to grow and is exploring what is the best resolution.
Iago in action for Spain in November’s Under-17 World Cup (Alex Caparros – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)
Although his agency is Gestifute, the company of super agent Jorge Mendes, those close to him still do not want to talk about other proposals because there is more than a year left until the end of his contract and they want to resolve the situation first with Madrid.
“It’s still early,” remark those who know him, but the player seems frustrated and proof of this was in the Instagram message he posted last week: “I love and want soccer, but I hate the falsehood, lies and deceit of the world that surrounds it.”
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(Top photo: Pedro Castillo/Real Madrid via Getty Images)
