Real Madrid locks down golden 2009 generation with Enzo Alves deal
Madrid's La Fábrica secures the crown jewels of their spectacular 2009 youth crop, with Marcelo's son the latest to pen professional terms at the Bernabéu.
Real Madrid have completed a generational refresh at their famed La Fábrica academy by securing the futures of their most dazzling talents born in 2009, with Enzo Alves – son of club legend Marcelo – the latest wonderkid to put pen to paper.
The golden generation
The 2009 crop represents a proper treasure chest of talent that’s had the Madrid brass excited for years. Beyond young Alves, the club has moved swiftly to secure professional terms with a stellar cast including:
- Mateo Garrido
- Bugarín
- Lemaitre
- Company
- Del Pino
- Raúl Andrei
- Castelau
- Edu Corlat
With these youngsters reaching the age where they could sign their first professional contracts, Los Blancos wasted no time getting the paperwork sorted. The next milestone for these lads will be turning 18 – when they can sign longer-term deals.
Dominant at youth level
This special generation has already shown they’re the dog’s dinner on the pitch. Under Álvaro López last season, they absolutely bossed their Cadete league with an unbeaten campaign (29 wins, 1 draw) while also lifting two prestigious international trophies, beating PSG and Barcelona in the finals.
Many of these talents had already been fast-tracked to play for Madrid’s various Juvenil sides last season, showing the club’s faith in their abilities.
The development plan
Madrid hasn’t just sorted the contracts – they’ve mapped out proper development paths for each player. Enzo Alves has already made the jump to Juvenil A and even debuted for Castilla, while others are strategically placed across the club’s youth structure:
- A core group plays for Juvenil B, with several (including Garrido and Lemaitre) regularly training with Juvenil A
- Another contingent forms part of the Juvenil C squad
Expert guidance
To shepherd this special generation, Madrid made a shrewd appointment in Marcos Jiménez – previously Raúl’s assistant at Castilla – to take charge of Juvenil B where many of these talents play. The club clearly wants a safe pair of hands to polish these diamonds.
With this careful planning and talent security, it’s clear Madrid is taking no chances with what could be their most special youth generation in years. The pathway from La Fábrica to the Bernabéu first team looks alive and kicking.