During Spain’s run to the final of the European Under-21 Championship this summer, Marcos Llorente uploaded a photo on social networks that would later appear prophetic. In it, Llorente and his Real Madrid teammates Marco Asensio and Jesus Vallejo were joined by Dani Ceballos, then of Real Betis. A month later, Ceballos has now joined them in Madrid.
The 20-year-old midfielder will be presented as a Real Madrid player this week after completing his move to the Bernabeu on a six-year contract. By securing Ceballos, the club has added another young talent to a squad that now features four of Spain’s hottest prospects.
Here is the lowdown on Ceballos and the other three youngsters who could very well represent the future of both Real Madrid and the Spanish national team.
Dani Ceballos
For Dani Ceballos, responsibility is something to be embraced, not shied away from. In the 2014/15 season, at just 18 years of age, he was the animating force behind Real Betis’ promotion back to the Primera Division. Coach Pepe Mel admitted that even a such a tender age, he was a player capable of carrying the team on his back.
Ceballos’ performances during the second half of last season at Betis and at the European Under-21 Championship this summer (where he was named the Player of the Tournament) underlined the ability of the Utrera-born midfielder and saw Real Madrid move to sign up a player who had previously been linked with their city rivals Atletico.
A technically gifted midfielder who carries the ball well and links deftly with teammates, he will have an ideal tutor at Madrid in the form of Luka Modric.
The move perhaps comes a year too soon, but Ceballos has the necessary quality and personality to avoid getting lost in the shuffle at the Bernabeu.
Marcos Llorente
Marcos Llorente returned to Real Madrid this summer after a successful year on loan at Alaves, where he was an integral part of the side that shattered all expectations by finishing ninth in the league and reaching the final of the Copa del Rey.
It was a valuable learning experience for the Madrid academy graduate, who started 31 times for Mauricio Pellegrino’s side over the course of the campaign. A string of high-level performances convinced the Madrid hierarchy of his talent, and he is now expected to compete with Casemiro for a starting berth during the upcoming season.
The 22-year-old is an energetic defensive midfielder who reads the play well, clears things up and having done so, has the necessary quality to move the ball forward swiftly and effectively. He is likely to require a period of adaptation as he certainly benefited from a compact defensive structure at Alaves, but Llorente looks to have the requisite ability to eventually make a name for himself back at the Bernabeu.
Jesus Vallejo
Leadership comes naturally to Jesus Vallejo. The central defender was just 18 when his hometown club Real Zaragoza entrusted him with the captain’s armband, and his confidence and strong will to win have seen some position him as a long-term successor to Sergio Ramos as captain at Real Madrid.
That is still some way in the future, but the 20-year-old certainly showed enough on loan at Eintracht Frankfurt last season to suggest that he will be capable of performing when called upon in the upcoming campaign. Quick on the half-turn and strong and proactive in his defensive work, on the ball he is comfortable stepping out of defence and passing crisply into midfield.
Vallejo was handed Pepe’s old number 3 shirt upon rejoining Madrid this summer and while one would expect Ramos and Raphael Varane to begin the season as the first-choice pairing, Zinedine Zidane’s rotation policy should ensure that Vallejo soon gets a chance to impress.
Marco Asensio
Marco Asensio was part of the Real Madrid first-team squad last season, scoring six goals and providing three assists in league and Champions League play at a rate of a goal or assist for every 148 minutes of action.
It was an impressive start for the 21-year-old, whose incisive dribbling, high-quality deliveries and powerful shots make him a potent attacking force. Perhaps most impressive is his ability to slow down at the key moment and make the right choice inside the final third.
While he struggled to make an impact in the final, he otherwise performed well throughout Spain’s European Under-21 Championship campaign in Poland and in doing so underlined the talent that should make him a future starter for the senior national team.
Asensio already has a couple of top-flight seasons behind him and will look to the upcoming campaign as an opportunity to push on once again and play his way into contention for Spain’s squad at the 2018 World Cup.
