Every Football Club’s youth system want to groom the finest and the most creative players for senior team football. If scouts and development coaches knew it all, some burgeoning talents wouldn’t be allowed to slip off the fingers to other clubs.
While factors such as financial expediency, team plan, and regulatory issues could influence transfer plan for a football club’s Academy stars, it always a loss sport-wise to see your product in sensational form for a rival club.
Such is the story of Atletico Madrid. Some of the club’s ejected youngsters are now flying high, playing top-level football for elite clubs across Europe. Here, we will take you through four Atletico Madrid youth stars, who are now at their best career levels.
- Alejandro Garnacho
Alejandro Garnacho is one of the most likely to have slipped through the fingers of Atletico Madrid. Garnacho joined the academy of Atlético in 2015, showing he had immense potential as a forward.
He immediately made a name for himself with his pace, dribbling, and eye for goal. However, despite his promising performances, Atlético allowed him to leave in 2020, when Manchester United came calling.
Since making the move to Manchester United, Garnacho flourished and made his senior debut in 2022. He continued to impress in the Premier League and European competitions.
Off the back of that, he also got a call-up to the Argentina national team, winning the 2024 Copa America with the team. He has also won the FA Cup and Carabao Cup with Manchester United in a meteoric rise. Now, his market value is estimated at about €45 million, which is a big difference from when Atlético let him go.
- Rodri (Rodrigo Hernández)
Rodri, whose full name is Rodrigo Hernández, is another example of how Atlético Madrid let one of the prospective stars slip through their fingers. He was transferred to the youth ranks of Atlético in his childhood but was sent away in 2013 because the club did not see long-term perspective in him.
Rodri then journeyed to Villarreal, where he blossomed to be arguably the most exciting young midfielder in Spain. Finally, the performances with Villarreal made Atlético buy him back in 2018 at the price of €20 million, realizing their earlier blunder.
He had a very good season with Atlético Madrid, holding the ground with his intelligent play and his ability to execute brilliant passes. However, in 2019, Atlético sold him to Manchester City for a then-club record fee of €70 million.
At City, Rodri consolidated his position among the best defensive midfielders in the world, notching two Premier League titles and the UEFA Champions League. Today, his market value stands at about €130 million, making him one of the most valued midfielders in football today.
- Lucas Hernández
Another of the big successes from Atlético Madrid’s youth academy, Lucas Hernández made his way out of the club to taste enormous success. Lucas Hernández joined the Atlético Madrid youth setup back in 2007.
He made his professional debut in 2014 and was later on brought in as the cog in Diego Simeone’s defense the team needed to win the UEFA Europa League in 2018. This versatility, with him being able to play both at center-back and left-back, has been very important.
Even though Lucas was so important to Atlético de Madrid, he was sold to Bayern Munich in the summer of 2019 for a record fee of €80 million, which meant he became the most expensive defender in the world at the time.
Since he left to join Bayern, Lucas has lifted several Bundesliga titles, the UEFA Champions League, and most recently, the FIFA Club World Cup. Lucas was later transferred to PSG for €45 million; he is now worth approximately €40 million. He still is one of the key players for PSG and the French national team.
- Theo Hernández
Another player Atlético Madrid might have regrets about letting go is the younger brother of Lucas—Theo Hernández. Just like his brother, Theo came through the ranks of Atlético’s youth system after joining in 2007.
Unlike sibling Lucas, though, Theo never made an appearance for Atlético’s senior team, so he was loaned out for some time to Deportivo Alavés before being sold in 2017 to Real Madrid for €24 million.
Theo Hernandez never quite found his feet at the Metropolitano Stadium, ending up at AC Milan in January 2019 for €20m. At Milan, Theo Hernandez has become one of the top left-backs in the world, known for his explosive speed, dribbling, and goal-scoring abilities.
He played an enormous part in helping Milan secure the Serie A title in the last season of 2021-2022. His market value at this point is said to be about €60m, as per Transfermarkt. He is considered one of the best performers in European football.
