MU Shorts
Three La Fabrica talents who could do pre-season with Real Madrid first team this summer
Pre-season is always an important period for new signings, returning players and tactical adjustments, but it can also be a defining moment for the club’s brightest academy talents.
Understandably, Real Madrid, who will be under a new manager for the next season, are expected to take a close look at several youngsters from La Fábrica ahead of the 2026/27 campaign.
Over the years, Real Madrid have used pre-season to assess whether academy players are ready to make the jump to senior football.
Recent success stories have shown that strong performances on the training pitch can change a player’s standing within the club, with the likes of Raul Asencio and Thiago Pitarch being the prime examples.
Hence, as Real Madrid head into the new season, several youth players are hoping to impress and secure a place in the first-team dynamic.
On that note, among the many promising prospects at Valdebebas, three names stand out as the most likely candidates to feature prominently during Real Madrid’s pre-season preparations.
Joan Martinez
When discussing the best young defenders in the Real Madrid academy, Joan Martinez is a name that consistently appears near the top of the list.
The highly-rated centre-back has long been viewed as one of the biggest defensive prospects to emerge from La Fabrica in recent years.
Despite his young age, Martinez has already earned valuable experience around the first-team environment and continues to be regarded as a player with genuine long-term potential, although he is yet to make his senior team debut.
What makes the teenager particularly exciting is his maturity. He reads the game well, remains composed under pressure and possesses the technical qualities required to thrive in modern football.
Those attributes have helped him stand out throughout his development.
With Real Madrid constantly searching for the next generation of defenders capable of succeeding the current stars, pre-season could provide Martinez with the ideal platform to demonstrate that he belongs closer to the senior squad than ever before.
David Jimenez
The right-back position is another area where Real Madrid possess exciting talent coming through the academy ranks.
David Jimenez has developed into one of Castilla’s most dependable performers.
The 22-year-old combines defensive awareness with attacking quality, making him one of the most complete full-backs currently progressing through La Fabrica.
His consistency over the past season has strengthened his case for greater involvement with the senior setup.
Jimenez understands when to join attacks but also maintains the discipline needed to perform his defensive duties effectively.
Notably, Jimenez has already tasted first-team action, having played four games with the team under Alvaro Arbeloa during the 2025/26 season.
Jesus Fortea
Alongside him, Jesus Fortea remains one of the most exciting young players in the entire Real Madrid academy system.
The 19-year-old has built a reputation as an attack-minded full-back capable of creating problems for opponents with his pace, dribbling and confidence in possession.
Many youth coaches have highlighted his ability to influence games high up the pitch, giving him a profile that fits perfectly with the demands of modern football.
Fortea’s rise through the ranks has been rapid, and there is a growing belief that his first sustained involvement with the senior squad is approaching, although there are also claims that he might leave on loan.
MU Shorts
Yan Diomande: A record fee, huge expectations and an early battle for minutes at Real Madrid
Yan Diomande arrived at Real Madrid this summer with a record-breaking price tag and the expectations that come with it.
Two games into the 2026/27 La Liga season, though, the €125 million signing is still waiting for his first real moment in the spotlight.
Real Madrid have started strongly, and the usual names have taken over the headlines.
As such, Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Jr. and Jude Bellingham have driven the early conversation around the club, while Mourinho’s new-look side has shown enough attacking fluency to give the manager little reason to force changes.
That has left Diomande in an unfamiliar position, with Real Madrid’s most expensive signing playing just over 30 minutes across the opening two league matches.
For a 19-year-old signed from Leipzig, the lack of immediate prominence should not necessarily be mistaken for a lack of belief.
But given the price tag attached to his name, questions are being raised.
Guler’s emergence has complicated the picture
Diomande’s biggest obstacle is not just the competition created by Vinicius or the presence of Mbappe and Bellingham.
Arda Guler’s new role under Jose Mourinho has also changed the balance of Real Madrid’s attack.
Mourinho has used a 4-2-3-1 in the first two competitive matches, with Guler beginning from the right before moving into central areas when Madrid have the ball.
The tactical adjustment has given the Turkish international a more prominent role and, in turn, reduced the immediate need for another natural winger.
Diomande was introduced against Espanyol when the score stood at 1-1, offering Mourinho an attacking option during a competitive second half.
His appearance against Real Sociedad was shorter still. With Madrid already in control, the Ivorian replaced Vinicius in the 84th minute.
Those cameos have offered only glimpses of what the Real Madrid hierarchy paid so heavily to acquire.
A record transfer fee does not buy a place
The Yan Diomande transfer was one of the defining moves of Real Madrid’s summer.
At €125 million, with the potential of rising to €140 million, the club made a statement about how highly they rate the teenager.
Yet Mourinho has shown no sign of selecting players according to their transfer fee.
With Real Madrid winning and their attacking structure functioning, the Portuguese coach has understandably placed trust in the players who have started the season well.
Vinicius remains a decisive presence, while Guler’s ability to operate from the right and drift into midfield has given Mourinho another tactical solution.
That is the reality Diomande must understand. He is not arriving at a struggling side crying out for reinvention.
Rather, he is trying to break into one of the deepest and most talented attacks in European football.
Indeed, the coming weeks should offer more opportunities, as the fixture list will become heavier and rotation will be required, but that still does not guarantee anything.
What now for Diomande?
There is a temptation to judge a €125 million signing, particularly when the player has been limited to a handful of minutes.
But Diomande’s first weeks at Real Madrid may say more about the competition around him than his standing within the club.
At 19, he has time on his side. What he needs now is the right opportunity.
Mourinho’s selection against Espanyol and Real Sociedad suggests that Diomande is still being introduced gradually, rather than being handed responsibility because of the size of his transfer.
That approach could frustrate fans expecting an immediate impact, but it also shows the reality of Real Madrid’s current attacking strength.
The first opening may come through rotation. When it does, the focus will shift from the size of the Yan Diomande transfer fee to a more important question: can Real Madrid’s record signing make himself impossible to leave out?
