Spain has become a hotbed of talent at defensive midfield, a position many consider fundamental to defining the style of both clubs and national teams. Rodri Hernández, following in the footsteps of Sergio Busquets, has become a reference point for a new generation of midfielders, first after winning the 2024 Ballon d’Or and then following his dominant performance at the World Cup two years later. Alongside him is Martín Zubimendi, who has progressed through Spain’s youth teams and even lower age groups, as a new generation of players emerges to secure the future of Spanish soccer in one of the game’s most important positions.

Among them is a product of Real Madrid’s famed Valdebebas academy. His name is Chema Andrés. A regular with Spain’s U-21 team, where Marc Bernal and Mario Martín have also featured, Andrés played 41 games for Stuttgart last season, scoring four goals and providing two assists while playing a key role in the German club’s return to the Champions League.

Last summer, he completed one of the most notable transfers of the window, joining Brighton, currently third in the Premier League and who were among the clubs that invested most heavily in young talent during the transfer window. It took just three games for Andrés to earn the respect of demanding English fans. He has already found the net, too.

The Valencia native, like Rodri, stands out for his positional intelligence and cerebral approach to the game, as well as his ability to make the players around him better. Like the Barcelona midfielder, Andrés studies business administration, something that influences the way he plays and how he approaches his development as a soccer player. He had no hesitation about moving to Germany first and then packing his bags again just a year later.

Real Madrid is still in his heart

His professional relationship with Real Madrid has come to an end, but his bond with a club that has always held him in high regard remains. Andrés is one of the Valdebebas academy products to make his first-team debut, and he even replaced Luka Modrić in the Croatian’s final game as a Real Madrid player.

The club knows how deeply he feels about Real Madrid, something he acknowledged when he signed with Brighton. They have not forgotten him and continue to monitor his progress from afar as he tries to become “Chema and not another player,” as he put it days ago.

That is what he is working toward, without rushing but without taking his foot off the gas, continuing to develop his ability to bring order to his teams. Spanish soccer has plenty to be excited about.

More talent coming through La Fábrica

There are already other defensive midfielders coming through the ranks at Valdebebas who have the potential to reach the highest level. Cestero is the best example. Alongside newly signed Sergio Martínez, who is showing exactly why Real Madrid brought him in, there is another player with a very different profile who is making a name for himself. Despite being just 17, José Mourinho already knows him extremely well. His name is Cherif, a Spanish youth international.

If Chema is the prototype of a positional midfielder, Cherif is all about dynamism, in the mold of N’Golo Kanté. He joined Real Madrid in the summer of 2025 from Paracuellos. He is a true No. 6, tactically intelligent and exceptionally talented at winning the ball back, while rarely giving it away himself.

Cherif stood out from the beginning with Real Madrid’s Juvenil C team and was quickly promoted to the B team before making his Castilla debut last season. He is another promising player in a position that looks increasingly secure for the future of Spanish soccer.

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