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Four Real Madrid Academy Stars Who Could Become Part of Jose Mourinho’s Plans

Youngsters have stepped up in the absence of Los Blancos’ bigger names this summer.
Andrew Headspeath|
Teenager Alexis Ciria has shone in preseason.
Teenager Alexis Ciria has shone in preseason. | He Canling/Xinhua via Getty Images

Real Madrid have just two matches left of a truncated preseason, with competitive action starting away at Espanyol on Aug. 22.

There is not long left for José Mourinho to make his assessments on the players at his disposal ahead of the new campaign.

It has been an unusual summer for the new manager to come into in many ways. The World Cup in North America delayed the return of many of the club’s top stars, while it also meant there was no preseason tour of the United States this year—a first since the COVID-affected summer of 2021.

Instead, Mourinho’s men have taken on Alcorcón and Leganés in behind-closed-doors friendlies at the Alfredo Di Stefano Stadium, before a mini-tour of central Europe, taking on Fiorentina in Austria and Ferencváros in Hungary.

Neither Kylian Mbappé nor Jude Bellingham, nor new signings Marc Cucurella and Yan Diomande, have played a minute yet.

Although Mourinho would’ve surely preferred a longer preseason with all his big stars available, this version of the summer has allowed several emerging talents to take the limelight and showcase their potential with standout performances.

Ciria Headlines Youngsters Shining in Preseason

The revelation of the summer has been 18-year-old winger Alexis Ciria, who was a surprise inclusion in the lineup to face Fiorentina, before raising eyebrows even further with a well-taken goal after 24 minutes.

A week later, as he kept his place on the wing for the win over Ferencváros, Ciria put in an inch-perfect cross to assist the opening goal of the game from fellow teenager Mario Rivas.

A skillful right-footer, who prefers to operate off the left wing, Ciria only joined Real Madrid from Sevilla in January, quickly jumping up to Castilla after impressing with the C team. He ended last season as part of the club’s Youth League-winning side and is now rated as one of Madrid’s top prospects, who has been catching Mourinho’s eye.

The absences of Vinícius Júnior and Diomande this summer have afforded the youngster meaningful first-team experience and a chance to prove himself to the new coaching staff.

He’s not the only one. Injury issues among Madrid’s more senior defenders means the club’s has put out a regular center back pairing of Rivas, 19, and Joan Martínez, 18, this summer.

The former, who scored with a header against Ferencváros, has previously earned lofty comparisons to Virgil van Dijk for his reading of the game and imposing frame. Part of Madrid’s setup since 2021, he was named in the Team of the Tournament after scoring in the final at this summer’s UEFA European Under-19 Championship.

His partner, the Valencia-born Martínez, has been dubbed the “new Ramos”—at least in part due to a passing physical resemblance, After the 2–2 draw with Fiorentina, Mourinho praised both center backs as having a “fantastic game.”

The other youngster in the spotlight this summer is live-wire, 19-year-old winger Daniel Yáñez, who scored a penalty in the win over Alcorcón. Another member of Spain’s UEFA European Under-19 Championship this summer, he is a name more familiar to many Real Madrid fans, having made four first-team appearances across the last two seasons.

Could Any Make an Impact This Season?

Mario Rivas
Mario Rivas is one to watch at Madrid. | Attila Kisbenedek/AFP/Getty Images

It’s one thing impressing in preseason. It is entirely another translating that into a competitive environment, where opportunity will be scarce and the quality and intensity of the soccer will be exponentially higher.

That said, there is hope around Ciria in particular with AS reporting that “appearances with the first team are increasingly expected” for the teenage talent.

Chances in the Copa del Rey are perhaps more likely than regular La Liga outings, given the level of the competition he faces for his preferred left wing spot—unless there are serious injuries to either Vinícius Jr or Diomande.

The same could be said for Yáñez, though he has been linked with a move away this season, either on loan or in a partial rights sale.

At the back, it’s a slightly different story. Despite reports that Mourinho had wanted to sign another center back, there is a growing feeling that Madrid’s transfer business this window is now complete. Antonio Rüdiger, Dean Huijsen, Ibrahima Konaté, Éder Militão and Raúl Asencio are the club’s senior center back options, but there are serious doubts about the ability of several of those players to stay fit for an entire campaign.

One of Rivas or Martínez could then take on a more prominent role with the first team this season as part of the matchday roster, with a view to a competitive debut. That said, Mourinho typically prefers experience in his defense.

Despite praising the pair after the draw with Fiorentina, the manager added a telling caveat after his side let slip a two-goal lead in the second half. “Physically, they're not yet at the level to compete with a beast like Moise [Kean], who is a fantastic player,” Mourinho said.

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Andrew Headspeath
ANDREW HEADSPEATH

Andy Headspeath is a Real Madrid correspondent for Sports Illustrated FC. Originally from the UK, the weather, culture and soccer lured him to Spain over a decade ago where he lives with his wife, son and two untrainable dogs. A player of unspeakably limited talents and only one fully functional knee, he has more than a decade's experience in a wide variety of editorial roles within sports media, from match reporting to in-depth feature writing and interviews. He specializes in soccer history and culture, as well as—of course—La Liga.

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