Trusting the youth hasn’t always been Real Madrid’s strong suit, especially with Carlo Ancelotti as manager. In his first year of his second stint, Carlo gave up on Miguel Gutierrez, who is now a Real Madrid transfer target due to his strong performances at Girona, and it took him ages to trust Eduardo Camavinga, who eventually proved pivotal in winning the Champions League.
But Carletto has hit a new low in his treatment of young players. If Zinedine Zidane was criticized for his hesitancy to integrate Martin Odegaard, who is now one of the Premier League’s best at Arsenal, then imagine what will be said about Ancelotti if he drives two even more talented youngsters away in Endrick and Arda Guler.
When it comes to academy players, Carlo’s track record is literally a zero, with Miguel standing out as the most blatant example of a great academy prospect being shunned by the legendary Italian manager.
This season, at least Ancelotti would have given Joan Martinez a key role at center back, but we may never know how true those rumors are since Martinez suffered a torn ACL.
But there is another Real Madrid academy defender whom Carlo Ancelotti will need to use this season, in addition to giving regular minutes to Guler and Endrick, and they have already called him up to the Champions League squad.
Maybe you don’t remember this, but kudos to you if you do. After the 2021/22 season when Real Madrid were on top of the world with their second of three Champions League titles under Don Carlo, the folks behind the scenes weren’t done stocking up.
They went to war with Atletico Madrid, poaching their most prized academy player, a phenomenal young right back by the name of Jesus Fortea who was the most highly touted right back prospect in Spain.
At 17, Fortea is so good that he has worked his way up to the first team, and while the caveat is that they pretty much had to call him up with Dani Carvajal injured for the season and no real right back in the squad, they could have picked any right back in the academy.
Nobody can say for sure how good Fortea will be right off the bat, but you know someone is special when they shoot up the ranks to the first team this fast – just two years after signing while still only 17.
Real Madrid were willing to light a fire in the Spanish capital with their derby rivals by poaching Fortea, because they knew he had the potential to be a generational talent.
It’s time to let him sink or swim. At worst, he’s the backup to Lucas Vazquez, who is already a sub-standard option. At best, he’s the solution to Carvajal and eschews the need to spend on a right back, with only a potential free swoop for Trent Alexander-Arnold changing the equation.
The upside is massive. There should be no pressure on Fortea to perform at 17, so he can play carefree with nothing but adulation on the other side of the rainbow. Because if Carlo lets him run with it and he grows into this role at right back, he could help Real Madrid turn their fortunes, especially in the Champions League where everything is always wide open.
