Joan Martínez, the 17-year-old center back for Real Madrid Castilla, is one of the greatest talents in the club’s youth academy. His injury last season to the cruciate ligament in his left knee does not appear to be a problem for the player’s progress, and he could be part of the first team next season with Xabi Alonso.
Reinforcement for the defense
Real Madrid is in need of reinforcements for its defense. The arrival of Dean Huijsen seems almost certain, but Real Madrid wants to have more depth in its squad, as the last few seasons, with the injuries to Militano twice, Alaba and now Rudiger, plus the loss of Nacho, have shown that nothing can be taken for granted in football and that injuries are part of the game and can happen at any time and when you least expect it.
Real Madrid continues to comb the market for any valid options to strengthen the team, but the solution seems to lie in the youth academy. Joan Martínez, the young gem of Real Madrid at only 17 years old, looks set to enter the first team’s plans for next season.
An injury that halted his progress
Joan Martínez already did preseason training with Real Madrid last summer in the United States, at only 16 years old. Even then, Carlo Ancelotti was very impressed by his qualities: despite his boyish face that makes him look younger, his maturity is not typical of a soccer player so young.
However, on his return from the US tour, the footballer suffered a very serious injury, tearing the cruciate ligament in his left knee. It seemed that the injury could put a serious brake on his career, but nothing could be further from the truth.
The footballer has recovered from his injury in record time and is back to a very high level despite being out for more than half a year. He is not quite ready yet, but Real Madrid are fully convinced that he will be 100% recovered by the start of the new season.
Joan Martínez to the first team
It remains to be seen whether Joan Martínez will be registered with the first team next season, but the idea is that he will be another member of the first team’s working dynamic. They believe he is ready to start forging his career with the best and can improve his performance in the center of defense. However, as he is initially just another name on Real Madrid’s list of center backs for next season, he may continue to play for Castilla to keep up his competitive rhythm.
If Joan Martínez’s promotion is confirmed, he would be the third center back from Real Madrid’s youth academy to break into the first team in the last year. First it was Jacobo Ramón, then Raúl Asencio, who flew past him and earned a place in the starting eleven, and now Joan Martínez, who, had he not been injured last season, might have slowed down the Canary Islander.
Real Madrid continues to plan its squad for next season, combing the European market in search of players who can raise the level of the team, but also looking to La Fábrica, where the young prospects seem to be better prepared than ever. Joan Martínez seems to be becoming a reality and looks set to be part of the squad next season, once he has fully recovered from the serious injury that has prevented him from reaching the first team sooner.