We determined to strive one thing slightly completely different this 12 months to finish the Seasonal Participant Rankings.
For the ultimate installment of Atlético de Madrid’s 2025/26 cumulative rankings, Into the Calderón presents a quick have a look at every of the ten canteranos (academy graduates) who made their debuts for the primary workforce this season.
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Diego Simeone by no means has handed debuts to so many younger gamers earlier than. Granted, Atlético’s state of affairs in LaLiga — which was deprioritized halfway by means of the season — created a really perfect proving floor for the youngsters. A couple of of them may actually have a place in Atleti’s 2026/27 workforce, as sporting director Mateu Alemany continues to prioritize sustainability and rising the academy right into a productive funnel for first-team expertise.
Serving to the canteranos’ case is a constructive season in Primera Federación, the place Atlético Madrileño got here agonizingly near reaching the promotion playoff ultimate to the second tier of Spanish soccer. After a third-place end in its group, Madrileño misplaced the two-legged promotion semifinal to Ponferradina by a slim 1-0 margin. Head coach shall be tasked with getting the B workforce over the hump subsequent season, when he enters .
Under, I’ve tried to charge the ten canteranos who performed at the least as soon as for Atleti’s first workforce this season: 9 from Madrileño, and one from Atleti C within the fifth tier. The gamers are organized by the variety of minutes they performed in LaLiga.
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Díaz is to remain within the first workforce subsequent season, or at the least safe a mortgage to a different Primera aspect if stays and the membership buys a brand new starter at left-back.
And why shouldn’t he be getting consideration to stay within the squad? Díaz made a game-saving play on his debut at Oviedo in February, when his keep-in from an errant cross keyed the transfer which led to ’s successful objective. He assisted Javier Boñar’s objective towards Sevilla in April with a beautiful cross to the again publish. He struggled a bit defensively, however in rotated lineups the place his “cowl” was “Clément ”, it’s exhausting in charge the 21-year-old for a positional slip-up right here and there.
Díaz is undersized at 5’7”, however he’s fast, he’s an excellent ball-carrier and an excellent crosser. That seems like a younger defender value creating. 7
Javier Boñar
Boñar is the very best academy graduate that I noticed debut for the workforce this season. The 21-year-old appears able to play in LaLiga: he debuted with a bang as he nodded in a header at a wet Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán on April 11 and went on to make three additional appearances for 299 minutes in all.
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Madrileño captain Boñar is a speedy defender who performs with self-discipline and intelligence. Cholo Simeone deployed Boñar at right-back and in central protection, and he took the alternatives with each arms.
“He doesn’t seem to be a child from the academy,” Radio Marca’s mentioned final month. “He competes like an animal.”
Like Díaz, Boñar is simply too good to play one other 12 months in Madrileño, and he signed a brand new contract final summer season to 2028. Seeing as Alemany is putting a renewed emphasis on youth, Boñar ought to have an opportunity in preseason to compete for a spot within the squad. 7.5
Javi Morcillo
Morcillo arrived in the summertime from Sabadell in a artful €120,000 switch. The 20-year-old earned his first-team debut on April 4 towards , and he instantly stood out for his tenacity out of possession. Morcillo made 4 extra first workforce appearances and received a begin at on Might 2; he acquired 169 minutes in Primera and dedicated six fouls in that point. Atlético shipped just one objective when he was on the pitch.
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Curiously, Morcillo made simply 10 begins out of 27 appearances within the third tier. He’s below contract for an additional two years, and his function going ahead shall be attention-grabbing: his audition for minutes on mortgage in LaLiga went pretty properly. 5
Rayane must take the subsequent step in his improvement and safe both a mortgage or a everlasting switch encompassing 50 % of his federative rights. The 21-year-old attacking midfielder has spent two full seasons with Atlético’s reserve workforce; this 12 months, he scored 4 objectives and offered 4 assists in 29 appearances, and he began twice for Simeone: on April 11 at Sevilla and on Might 2 at Valencia for a mixed 134 minutes.
The Spain under-20s worldwide is below contract till 2029, so Alemany may go for a extra affected person strategy and mortgage him out someplace within the high two tiers subsequent season. However the sense is that this versatile, artistic attacker — miscast as a center-forward below Simeone — wants a greater problem to keep away from stagnation. 4
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Dani Martínez
A smooth-passing left-footed central defender, Martínez’s one and solely look got here within the loss at Sevilla, when he gave away an unlucky early penalty within the eventual 2-1 defeat. The 22-year-old was one in every of Torres’ most-used gamers this 12 months, beginning 30 occasions, enjoying 2,710 minutes and choosing up 4 assists in Primera Federación.
Martínez is below contract for an additional 12 months, and the Zaragoza native will stall out if he spends one other season with Madrileño. It’s resolution time for his future; a sale of fifty % of his rights to a workforce in LaLiga EA Sports activities or LaLiga HyperMotion must be on the desk. 4.5
Miguel Cubo
Miguel Llorente Cubo accomplished his swift rise into the primary workforce when he scored 18 minutes into his debut on Might 2 at Mestalla to cap a 2-0 win over Valencia.
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Promoted to Madrileño final summer season, Cubo nonetheless performed within the UEFA Youth League this 12 months, and he contributed three objectives because the Juvenil (under-19s) aspect reached the quarterfinals. The 18-year-old scored six objectives in 1,691 minutes throughout 35 appearances for Madrileño in Primera Federación and within the two-legged promotion playoff. Then there have been his two substitute appearances for Simeone; he scored in València and impressed in a house loss to .
It isn’t typically that I watch a teen play for 50 minutes and suppose he’s able to play in LaLiga, however I genuinely really feel that method with Cubo. He has sturdy method and super bodily software, qualities of a younger and fashionable center-forward that the workforce is missing behind Alvarez.
Cubo final month signed a brand new contract to 2029, and the membership values him extremely. All choices appear open to him: he might safe a mortgage, he might spend one other season between Madrileño and the primary workforce or he might impress sufficient in preseason to stay below Simeone’s orders. 7
The hulking Serbian center-back arrived from Racing Ferrol for a €1 million price and rapidly turned an necessary participant for Torres earlier than he debuted for Simeone in Valencia. In reality, I’m not totally certain how he’s caught El Cholo’s eye; Purić has spectacular spectacular dimension and energy at 6’5” however he’s unrefined technically and he seemed a bit misplaced when he obtained 45 minutes within the season-ending 5-1 beatdown at . I feel there are higher prospects within the pipeline. 3.5
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Iker Luque
Iker’s season got here to an unlucky finish with a crimson card (for a hair pull) within the first leg of the promotion playoff semifinal towards Ponferradina. Earlier than that, he had loved a dream first-team debut when he arrowed within the 74th-minute opener at Mestalla final month, and his season at Madrileño had been stable: Luque scored 4 objectives and offered six assists throughout 36 appearances as one in every of Torres’ most-used gamers.
Luque is below contract for 2 extra years, and the 21-year-old winger is probably going to attract vital mortgage curiosity inside LaLiga. 7
Jano Monserrate
The left-footed attacking midfielder made his debut on Jan. 31, when Atlético — within the midst of a — drew 0-0 at . He performed 4 extra minutes on the finish of that loss to Sevilla in April. Torres utilized him primarily in its place, and after 58 appearances in elements of three seasons with Madrileño, it’s time for Jano to take the subsequent step in his improvement as Rayane Belaid has to do. N/A
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Taufik Seidu
The one Atleti C consultant on the record, Taufik debuted and performed 22 minutes within the residence loss to Barcelona on April 4. Thought to be one of many cantera’s most promising gamers, Taufik an overture from in 2024 and signed a contract to 2029. It’s anticipated that the 18-year-old midfielder shall be promoted to Madrileño subsequent season — assuming he stays, that’s. Taufik has been with a transfer to BlueCo, which might place him at in France. N/A