From the Ancelotti era until now, with Arbeloa, they have given opportunities to young players from La Fabrica in the first team, something that seems to be beginning to bear fruit with prospects like Pitarch.
The emergence of young Thiago Pitarch with Real Madrid under the guidance of Alvaro Arbeloa has been one of the great stories of the white team's season, proving that the merengue youth academy also serves to supply players to the first team.
With Pitarch's case, the paradigm of recent years at Valdebebas has changed, after several seasons in which neither Zinedine Zidane nor Carlo Ancelotti had firmly bet on players from La Fabrica.
Thiago Pitarch has established himself as a starter for Real Madrid at the key moment of the season, being key in the Champions League knockout tie against Manchester City or in Madrid's victory against Atletico Madrid in La Liga.
At 18, Pitarch gives the team a dynamism and a rhythm that until now were scarce in the current Madrid. His ability to repeat efforts, physical deployment, defensive sacrifice, and skill with the ball have confirmed him as a very useful player in the Merengue squad.
In addition to Thiago Pitarch, other youth players are emerging in the white team who are also beginning to show their virtues with the first team. Manuel Angel, Cesar Palacios, Daniel Yanez, Jorge Cestero, and Diego Aguado are the other five pearls of Real Madrid to come.
They will help Arbeloa in this final stretch of the season and will represent great economic value for the club in the summer, since several of them have suitors to leave in the transfer market, according to various sources reporting to ESPN.
Manuel Angel is another of the Real Madrid youth players who is getting the most minutes with Arbeloa. He was his captain in the Juvenil A and in Castilla, and now he has returned his trust in the first team. 'Mami', as he is known in Valdebebas, stood out as the most complete footballer of the 2004 generation at La Fabrica along with Nico Paz.
He manages both feet, turns very well with the ball, has vision, is associative, and also goes into the tackle, despite his small physique. Allowing for the difference, those who know him closely compare him to Luka Modric, and he is one of the pearls that excite the most at Real Madrid. If it hadn't been for injuries, he would have already debuted in the elite the previous season.
Cesar Palacios has left very good feelings in the minutes he has played with Real Madrid. He changed the team's face in Vigo when the game against Celta became complicated, and he amazed at the Bernabeu against Elche. He possesses talent, class, and a lot of goals from attacking midfield.
He shares age with Manuel Angel, 22, and injuries also prevented him from debuting earlier with the first team. Palacios suffered a cruciate ligament tear on Real Madrid's tour of the US in 2024, but has recovered in the best way. Clubs like Borussia Dortmund are already knocking on his door.
Jorge Cestero has been one of the great appearances of La Fabrica in the last two seasons. He hadn't made much noise before, but thanks to Arbeloa's tutelage, he has grown a lot. A positional midfielder who holds his position, distributes, and organizes his teammates very well. All this, at 20.
At Valdebebas, they say he is the kid with the mentality most prepared for the elite. Reserved, hardworking, and very intelligent. He started for Real Madrid in Arbeloa's first game as coach.
Dani Yanez left a fantastic impression at the Bernabeu after his clash against Elche. As soon as he stepped onto the pitch, he gave a fantastic cross to Dean Huijsen that became an assist and did not shrink for a second: cheeky, a dribbler, and with quality. All the attributes of a left winger who plays on his opposite foot.
Yanez already debuted last season with Carlo Ancelotti, and at 19, he already leads Real Madrid Castilla. In addition to everything, he can help the first team. Clubs like Mallorca have shown interest in him.
At Valdebebas, they highlight the name of Diego Aguado in capital letters. A very complete defender, 19, who can play both as a center back and as a left back.
Like Yanez, he also debuted under Ancelotti's orders the previous season, and is one of the figures called to stay in the first team.
He shines for his physique and his quality with the ball. He is fast, technically gifted, crosses well, corrects, and is good in the air. A defender who can perform in multiple positions, a very useful asset in the current Real Madrid squad.
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