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Both Real Madrid and Barcelona have a world class, state-of-the-art youth set-up at their disposal, and unsurprisingly, the number of talented players graduating from their respective academies is always on the upside.In the course of the last 10 years, Barcelona’s La Masia has evolved into an institution that stands out as the pinnacle of European football youth academies. It is the go-to academy for any emerging footballer who wishes to play football at the top-most level. And it is not just about the academy. The huge amount of success that Barcelona has enjoyed this past decade is directly correlated to that of the club academy’s success.Real Madrid, on the other hand, may not be as excited as their Catalan rivals when it comes to nurturing youngsters, but they still boast a good crop of emerging talented footballers who could be breaking into the first team any time now. In this slideshow, we bring you the 10 best youth prospects from both Real Madrid and Barcelona:
#1 Munir El Haddadi - Barcelona
Position: Formally a centre forward, Munir is also a competent winger
Similar player to: Lionel Messi
Munir El Haddadi stands out as the most exciting young player in the Catalan roster, and is one of the few in this list to have already made an impact for the first team. It should be noted that it was Atletico Madrid where he started his career before moving to Barcelona in 2011.
Born and brought up in Madrid, Munir had grown up as a Real Madrid supporter but he signed for Barcelona despite interest from Real Madrid. Since making his debut for Barca B this year in March, Munir has evolved from being just another hot prospect to one of Barcelona’s most prized assets.
Munir made his debut for Barcelona, Barcelona B, Barcelona’s U19 team, Spain U19, Spain U21 and Spain, all in the same year.
Unlike most other players of his age, Munir already looks like a complete and multi-dimensional player. His game is not just restricted to his quickness or finishing or any single trait. Munir showcases a great understanding of the game when he is on the pitch, adding a sense of unpredictability that seasoned players such as Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are capable of.
Aged just 19, Munir looks destined to be a future superstar at Barcelona; he is much more promising than players like Bojan who faded out later in their career.
#2 lvaro Medrn - Real Madrid
Position: Central midfielder
Similar player to: Luka Modric
Álvaro Medrán joined Real Madrid’s academy three years ago, and now stands as one of Carlo Ancelotti and Zinedine Zidane’s most favoured players. The 20-year-old is a central midfielder, and a very versatile one at that.
Medrán stands as an engine in the midfield who is equally equipped to launch defence-splitting passes like Luka Modric and spread the ball intelligently like Xabi Alonso. His progress was closely monitored by Ancelotti last year after his promotion to Real Madrid C, and he was eventually promoted to Castilla and Real Madrid’s first team.
What separates Medrán from rest of the players emerging out of La Fabrica is the extra support and belief that he has been receiving from the management. He is already a well-established player at Castilla, holding the midfield line alongside Sergio Aguza while scoring goals of his own.
With five goals from 15 appearances, Medrán stands as Castilla’s joint-top scorer along with Raúl de Tomás.
#3 Adama Traore - Barcelona
Position: Right winger
Similar player to: Gareth Bale
A natural winger with blistering pace and a strong build-up, Adama Traore is yet another young player in the ranks of Barcelona you should watch out for. Unlike most wingers, Traore relishes physical duels and has the quickness and strength to knock the ball past opponents with ease.
Having performed at the top level for Barcelona’s Cadet and Juvenil teams, Traore was promoted to Barca B at the age of 17, making his first professional debut against Ponferradina. A month later, he made his debut for Barcelona under former manager Gerardo Martino.
Despite playing against and alongside players who are much older than him, the 18-year-old thrived under the pressure, finishing the 2013/14 campaign with five goals and five assists to his name from 29 appearances.
Traore is also known to withstand the toughest of tackles, a quality that most players in Spain and Barcelona are not really known for.
#4 Marcos Llorente - Real Madrid
Position: Central Midfield
Similar player to: Xabi Alonso
19-year-old Marcos Llorente is another youngster who has been making a name for himself in the Real Madrid youth set-up. A midfielder who relishes both attacking and defensive duties, Llorente is the son of former Real Madrid player Paco Llorente and grandson of one of the club’s greatest players ever, Paco Gento.
Llorente has been described as the “team’s catalyst going forward who has an outstanding imagination and is able to beat a man” on the club’s official website. A demonstration of his skills could be seen in his performance against Barcelona’s Juvenil A team earlier this year.
Llorente had joined the Real Madrid academy in 2009, and since then has progressed into an important part of Zinedine Zidane’s Castilla side after playing for the U14, U16 and U18 teams.
#5 Sergi Samper - Barcelona
Position: Central Midfielder/Defensive Midfielder
Similar player to: Sergio Busquets and Pep Guardiola
Sergi Samper has been with Barcelona since quite a while now and he finally signed a professional contract with them last year after having joined them at the age of just six. Now aged 19, Samper stands as one of the Catalans’ brightest prospects.
A no-nonsense figure in the midfield defensively, Samper is the kind of player who wins the ball back for his side and initiates an attack. He has the best of both worlds, which could somewhat explain the frequent comparisons he invites with Sergio Busquets. Samper could, however, go on to become an even more lethal player than Busquets; he holds the capacity to penetrate the opposition’s half with defence splitting pass while dribbling past opponents.
And that’s not it. Samper is a leader in the middle too, which makes him an eligible candidate to captain Barcelona in the future; he has captained almost every side he has ever played for.
#6 Jack Harper - Real Madrid
Position: Centre Forward
Similar player to: Raul and Zlatan Ibrahimovic
"I'm good at getting away from my marker and am a strong finisher," Harper describes himself on his official team entry on the club’s website.
Born and brought up in Malaga, Jack Harper is still a Scotsman at heart, which is the reason behind his desire to play for the Scottish national team instead of Spain. The 18-year-old is lethal with his approach towards the game – a good header of the ball, and also someone who can find the right pass at the right moment, Harper stands as a versatile centre forward.
Harper currently plays for Real Madrid’s U19/Juvenil A team and was a crucial factor in their win against Basel in the UEFA Youth league. He finished off an all-around performance, heading one goal and assisting the other as they won 2-0.
Being a British player, Harper has been attracting extra attention from British tabloids who are notorious for over-hyping players, something that both he and the club would want to avoid.
#7 Jean Marie Dongou - Barcelona
Position: Centre-forward/Winger
Similar player to: Samuel Eto'o
Jean Marie Dongou arrived at Barcelona at the age of 13 through the foundation of Samuel Eto’o that helped young players from Cameroon grow. Dongou has since then proved why he has been so highly rated by Spanish pundits and experts.
Despite being 5ft 8 inches tall, Dongou is stockier and more powerful than other players of his age. He is a player who can take on players with his fast pace and direct approach to the game.
Having already made his debut for the first team last year, Dongou still has a lot to learn, and a loan move where he could get first team action would do wonders for the 19-year-old who is known to be a bit too possessive of the ball at times – a trait that has always been shunned at Barcelona.
#8 Jose Rodriguez - Real Madrid
Position: Central Midfield
Similar player to: Xabi Alonso
Often criticized to have a blind eye towards young players, it was Jose Mourino who enabled Jose Rodriguez to first break into the first team. The 19-year-old Rodriguez is currently on loan at Deportivo La Coruna and continues to impress experts and pundits in Spain.
Voted the Most Valuable Player of the Under-17 Club World Cup, Rodriguez joined the Real Madrid academy at the age of 14. After playing in the Juvenil A team for three years, he made his debut for Castilla and eventually the first team.
Rodriguez’s playing style is similar to that of former Real Madrid midfielder Xabi Alonso, as he likes to play deep in the midfield position. A natural ball winner, Rodriguez can sometimes surprise opponents with his high tempo of play. He has made 11 appearances for Deportivo this season, bagging a goal and assist in the process.
#9 Alen Halilovic - Barcelona
Position: Winger/Attacking Midfielder
Similar player to: Luka Modric
Aged just 18, Alen Halilovic is a talent that is growing at a breathtaking pace. He made his debut for Dinamo Zagreb at the age of just 16, making him their youngest starter ever. He was also the youngest player to have scored a goal in the history of Prva HNL, the first division in Croatia.
Having made his choice to join Barcelona this year, Halilovic now stands as one of Barcelona’s brightest prospects. A fast-paced player with exceptional dribbling skills, his style of football has been often compared to Real Madrid’s Croatian midfielder Luka Modric, mostly since both of them are known to drift away on the wings, expanding the play for their side.
However, unlike Modric, Halilovic prefers to play more on the wings. His strengths include the ability to always be in the right position, ever-ready to launch killer passes and find a breakthrough in a matter of seconds.
#10 Marco Asensio - Real Madrid
Position: Attacking midfielder/Winger
Similar player to: Isco
"He could well be the best player Mallorca have ever produced," recalls former Mallorca youth coach Clemente Marín, who was the first person to discover Marco Asensio’s talents.
Asensio was one of the most sought out players in Spain until Real Madrid recently confirmed their capture of the Mallorca youngster. Asensio has been attracting attention from clubs since last year, after he was promoted to the first team by manager José Luis Oltra.
But it was under Lluis Carreras where Asensio found his ground at the club, cementing his place in the first team. An exceptionally fast and skilful player, Asensio has been drawing comparisons to Real Madrid midfielder Isco for his resemblance with the Spanish star, with his superb control of the ball in tight spaces.
The 18-year-old is also a dead-ball specialist, and don’t be surprised if you see him take free-kicks for Real Madrid in the future.
