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It seems like only a few years have passed since Real Madrid was accused of discarding its younger players in favour of expensive superstars, while the production line at Barcelona's La Masia sustained the club's first team.
Fast forward to today, and the tables have done a back-flip. Under the charismatic Florentino Perez, Real Madrid has focussed on bringing an array of young talent into the club and the decision is starting to pay dividends.
Youth dominates Real Madrid's transfer policy
Football is currently experiencing a transitional phase with one generation handing over the baton to the next, and Real Madrid has seemingly succeeded in being on the right side of the transition. Los Blancos have invested in young starlets and are already reaping rewards.
Real Madrid is known for its ruthlessness and results are an absolute necessity to survive at the club. Here, we take a look at five youngsters who are aged 21 or under and have made an impact at the club.
#5 Martin Odegaard
Martin Odegaard joined Real Madrid in 2015 and was billed as the future of the club. The attacking midfielder spent a few seasons under Zinedine Zidane with Real Madrid Castilla and then secured a loan move to Real Sociedad. The Norwegian talent seemed to have inadvertently slipped under the radar.
Fast forward to 2020 and Odegaard is one of the hottest prospects in La Liga. The 21-year-old midfielder has been an astronomical presence in Real Sociedad's midfield this season and continues to impress pundits and fans.
Martin Odegaard's 5 assists and several man-of-the-match performances for Real Sociedad have seen the Basque club climb to 4th in the La Liga table. Odegaard's massive improvement as a technically gifted player will not have gone unnoticed by his parent club Real Madrid.
#4 Vinicius Jr.
Vinicius was brought to Real Madrid as a reply to Barcelona's acquisition of Neymar earlier in the decade and while the young Brazilian has not scaled the heights that his compatriot managed as yet, Zinedine Zidane seems to place a considerable amount of faith in the teenager.
Vinicius did have a few teething problems in his first season at Real Madrid and struggled to finish the chances he created for himself. The winger has shown marked improvement over the past few months and under the tutelage of Zidane, it is likely that his full potential will come to the fore sooner rather than later.
Vinicius generally operates on the left flank and has been started in several games over the likes of Marco Asensio and Mariano Diaz. The Brazilian sensation scored the opening goal in Real Madrid's 2-0 victory over Barcelona to give Los Blancos a fighting chance to win the title.
#3 Federico Valverde
Federico Valverde's season so far at Real Madrid has been a dream. Los Blancos signed the young Uruguayan from Penarol in 2015, warding off interest from the likes of Arsenal, Barcelona, and Manchester. Real Madrid's decision is starting to pay dividends as Valverde has started to put in some excellent performances against the club's fiercest rivals.
The young Uruguayan was tipped to spend most of his time on the bench at the start of the season with Luka Modric, Toni Kroos, and Casemiro staking their claims in Real Madrid's packed midfield. Valverde has managed to force his way into Zinedine Zidane's plans by putting in some memorable shifts.
Valverde all but won Real Madrid with a career-defining tackle on Alvaro Morata that got him sent off. The tackle prevented Morata from scoring for Atletico Madrid and led to Real Madrid lifting the trophy. Federico Valverde also held his own as Real Madrid got the better of Barcelona in El Clasico.
#2 Rodrygo
Rodrygo is one of Real Madrid's finest young talents at the moment. The young Brazilian was added to Real Madrid's ranks in 2018 to reignite the Samba flair in the side and the teenager has already done wonders with his opportunities in the Spanish club.
With Karim Benzema in excellent form, Rodrygo has been used sparingly but has been brilliant when afforded the opportunity. The Brazilian youngster became the second-youngest player in the history of the UEFA Champions League to score a hat-trick.
Rodrygo's first goal on debut for Real Madrid was the perfect announcement of the striker's abilities. The 19-year-old forward is able to play anywhere across the front line and will remain an asset to Real Madrid for years to come.
#1 Achraf Hakimi
Real Madrid's administrative authorities must be counting their stars for not selling Achraf Hakimi. The left-back is currently on loan to Borussia Dortmund and is setting the Bundesliga alight with his performances.
Achraf Hakimi has been in imperious form this season and has recorded 10 assists to propel the Ruhr valley club to second place in the Bundesliga table. Hakimi is known for his clever runs on the left flank and his ability to cut in towards goal and cross the ball with precision in equal measure has taken German opposition by storm.
The young Moroccan full-back was loaned to the Bundesliga after failing to impress under Zinedine Zidane in 2018. Hakimi has since established himself at Borussia Dortmund and has matured into one of the best left-backs in the world.
It is only a matter of time before Real Madrid come calling once again.
