Sam Parker casts his eye over the best young talent emerging in Spain’s Primera Division.
Spain doesn’t have the same problem as England. Whilst we on the shores of Blighty are wondering when the next bright young thing will come along, La Liga is still churning out young talent to provide a strong future for the league and national team.
We’re ignoring the already established likes of Lionel Messi here – still only 22 – for a list of the next batch of promising youngsters set to light up the Iberian Peninsula.
Sergio Canales (Racing Santander)
If you are unaware of this guy already, then I have to question how you managed to find your way onto this site. For those that are, there are few things left to say about one of the best players of his generation.
After a handful of appearances last season, 19-year-old Canales has come on in leaps and bounds this term, with five goals in ten league appearances making him one of the world’s hottest prospects. It’s not just that he has a one-in-two scoring rate either. It is the way he has scored them, most notably in the game against Sevilla. Canales scored both goals in Racing’s surprise triumph, the first an impudent chip from the edge of the box in a move he started, and the second calmly dummying and rounding the goalkeeper, showing skill and confidence rarely seen from somebody who has yet to make 20 league appearances for his club.
This talent saw Europe’s top sides scouting him, with his contract up at the end of the season, because Racing don’t tie down their players long-term. Unfortunately for Racing, the player reached an agreement to sign for Real Madrid as of July 2010. Racing will receive a fee of about €4.5m for their development of the player. If he goes on to become as good as his potential suggests we could be looking at one of the bargains of the decade already.
David De Gea (Atletico Madrid)
At just 19-years-old, De Gea has all the potential to become one of the league’s top goalkeepers. With equally talented young ‘keeper, Sergio Asenjo, giving him competition, one will eventually have to give. De Gea has been tipped to succeed Iker Casillas as Spain’s number one and saved a penalty on his debut against Zaragoza this season, his first of seven first-team appearances for Atletico.
Alberto Botia (Sporting Gijon (loan)/Barcelona)
Having just turned 21, Botia has every possibility of becoming one of Europe’s best defenders. Comparisons having already been drawn between him and Gerard Pique, the player he replaced for his sole Barcelona appearance against Deportivo at the end of last season. Now on a season’s loan at Sporting, he is a key part of a defence that has only conceded 27 goals in 23 games this season.
Jeffren Suarez (Barcelona)
Let’s face it: we could go on forever about Barcelona youth products. Alongside Messi, we have Bojan Krkic, Pedro and Thiago Alcantara a
ll making a name for themselves in Barcelona’s first team to varying degrees. But I’ve opted for Jeffren Suarez as one to look out for, as he has changed his game immaculately in order to become a success at the Nou Camp.
The Venezuelan-born player started off as an attacking winger, but with so many options ahead of him he has changed his game and has gone from left-sided winger to right-back. Celtic, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur showed some interest in the summer, but his determination to adapt in order to become a success at Barcelona could be his making.
Esteban Granero (Real Madrid)
The oldest on this list at 22, Granero is not new to the La Liga scene, but deserves a mention. As one of Real Madrid’s youth products, he naturally struggled to break in to the first-team, with Real being much more willing to splash out on big name signings. However, having flourished at Getafe for a couple of years, Real exercised a buy-back clause and re-signed him for €4m in the summer; a move that was over-shadowed by their other business.
‘El Pirata’ (the pirate) has kept up his fine form in his 20 appearances this season with that outlay now looking a far better deal than the €65m shelled out for Kaka. With three goals to his name too, a call-up to the Spanish national team cannot be far away.
Diego Perotti (Sevilla)
Another 21-year-old, the Argentinean-born Per
otti is the latest graduate of Sevilla’s academy. Having started his senior career at the fantastically-named Deportivo Moron, Perotti made a big mark in Sevilla’s B team last season and began his move into the first-team towards the end of 2008-09.
This season he has ousted another graduate, Diego Capel, as first choice for left midfield, putting his pace and flair to much better use than the often-headless Capel. This has seen him bag three goals this campaign (including the winner against Mallorca on Saturday) whilst he has also been rewarded with a call-up to the Argentina squad, making his debut against Spain in November.
Iker Muniain (Athletic Bilbao)
Despite an easier path into the first team than others due to Athletic’s Basque-only policy, Munain’s quality means he sits comfortably in their company. Having only turned 17 in December, Muniain already has over 20 first-team appearances and five goals to show for it. A typical Athletic-style player in that his play has more similarities with the English game than the Spanish, his physical approach has made him very difficult to deal with.
He has confidence and talent in abundance. If he continues his development at such a rapid rate, there is no limit to what he can achieve. Big clubs have already been sniffing round him; the reason that Athletic were quick to tie him down to a long-term deal. Comparisons with Wayne Rooney are not completely unfounded for this Basque gem.