Mourinho hands pre-season opportunity to 18-year-old Real Madrid academy wonderkid | OneFootball

Real Madrid’s pre-season has only just begun, but one of the biggest talking points has already come in the form of the opportunities being presented to youth talent from the academy.

With much of the first-team squad still unavailable after international duty, Jose Mourinho has called up 16 youngsters from La Fabrica to train with the senior side.

Among them are highly rated midfielder Cherif Fofana, 16, who is already making an impression and Castilla standout Cesar Palacios, who could leave the club this summer.

Another name attracting significant attention, however, is 18-year-old winger Gabri Valero, reports AS.

One of La Fabrica’s brightest talents

Gabri Valero (C) is a jewel of La Fabrica (Photo courtesy: Instagram/gabrivalero)

Gabri is a left-footed right winger regarded as one of the academy’s most exciting prospects.

Although there are still areas of his game to refine, the 18-year-old has earned a reputation for his pace, fearless dribbling and ability to create moments of individual brilliance.

Valero capped an outstanding 2025/26 campaign by playing a decisive role in the Juvenil A side’s 4-1 victory over Barcelona in the Copa de Campeones final, contributing with a goal and an assist.

That triumph completed a remarkable treble after winning the league title and the UEFA Youth League, firmly establishing him as one of the academy’s biggest success stories of the season.

His performances also earned him several training sessions with the first team, and those opportunities are expected to become increasingly frequent over the coming months.

Marcelo’s seal of approval

One of Valero’s biggest admirers is Real Madrid legend Marcelo. Speaking in an interview earlier this year, the Brazilian singled him out as one of the academy’s brightest prospects.

“There’s a player in the Juvenil A team called Gabri who is top. I really like him. I think he’ll reach the first team because his dribbling is incredible,” the club icon said.

Mourinho taking a close look at academy talents. (Photo courtesy: Real Madrid official website)

Shortly after those comments, Real Madrid rewarded the youngster with a contract extension until 2030, underlining the club’s confidence in his long-term potential.

Inside Valdebebas, coaches value not only his talent on the pitch but also his attitude away from it, describing him as a grounded player with the right mentality to continue developing.

A big chance under Mourinho

Valero is now preparing for his sixth season as a Real Madrid player, with Mourinho giving him the chance to impress during the opening weeks of pre-season.

The next step in his development is expected to come with Castilla, but strong performances over the coming months could bring him even closer to the senior squad.

For one of La Fabrica’s most exciting young talents, this summer could mark the beginning of an important new chapter.