Real Madrid: 6 Young Stars Set to Emerge This Season

Real Madrid has won the Champions League nine times since 1955 and the La Liga title on 32 separate occasions. That kind of domination can only be the result of two things.

The first is the obvious glamor of a club like Madrid that attracts superstars. The second is the capacity of a club to repeatedly acquire young talents and develop them.

Real may have bought players such as Zinedine Zidane and Cristiano Ronaldo, but it also brought players such as Iker Casillas and Raul up to the big leagues through its own system.

It has become a mark of future success to be recruited by Madrid at a young age, and players worthy of such an honor usually have several eyes on them at all times. 

So, who will be the next Casillas? Who will lead Los Merengues? Here are the likeliest picks.  

1. Raphael Varane

Defenders are not usually the young talents that get recognized early, so it's even more impressive how much hype there is around Raphael Varane.

He was purchased by Real Madrid at the age of 18 and has another five years on his contract. He has demonstrated an amazing presence of mind and skill in keeping his defensive line untouched. He tackles with ease and controls the ball well when necessary.

Varane has also been capable of beautifully finding openings for his forwards with his long balls. Didier Deschamps calling him up to the French senior team in his first game as coach is a testament to Varane's blossoming talent.  

2. Derik Osede Prieto

Derik Osede is only 19 years old, but he has already shown he is more than capable of one day taking the reins from Carles Puyol and Sergio Ramos on the Spanish national squad.

Osede clears the ball exceptionally well, uses his vision to intercept balls superbly and can be dangerous offensively with his powerful shot.

He is an undeveloped talent as of now, but the future of the Spanish defense looks to be in safe hands.  

3. Pablo Sarabia

Pablo Sarabia will not be emerging with Real Madrid this season, but the possibility of him elevating his game is still to the advantage of Los Merengues. 

According to ESPN, Real Madrid owns the right to buy Sarabia back if he is able to bring his game to another level this season. His obvious skills make that a distinct possibility.

He can shoot free kicks with considerable ease, eliminates defenders seamlessly and finds gaps in any defense. He is best with the ball at his feet and can create chances from nothing.

There is no reason to think he won't be doing that to La Liga defenses pretty soon. 

4. Alvaro Morata

Were you to build an ideal striker, he would likely resemble Alvaro Morata.

Standing in at 6'3", he is at ease with headers and can bring danger to the goal at anytime through the air. He also controls the ball extremely well with his feet and can eliminate defenders seemingly at will. His finishing touch is perfect, and his speed is more than sufficient.

Alvaro Morata may be 19, but he certainly can be a threat when brought onto the pitch and seems destined to inherit the roles of Raul and Fernando Torres. 

5. Nacho

With the man known simply as "Nacho," Real Madrid is provided with yet another highly-skilled defender.

He made his first start in La Liga a little more than a year ago and is currently the captain of the reserve team. With Varane ahead of him on the senior team, Nacho will likely not see loads of playing time this season, but that doesn't mean he isn't a rising star.

Jose Mourinho has shown interest in him and played him on several occasions with the senior squad. He likes the leadership Nacho has shown as well as his skill in quickly transitioning interceptions into offense. 

Nacho can distribute extremely well for a defender and controls the ball with ease. Alongside Varane and Derik, he provides the future of the Madrid defense. 

6. Jese Rodriguez

Jese Rodriguez is one of the many players who have been compared to Cristiano Ronaldo, but in his case, it is an even more appropriate comparison since he actually has subbed in for the superstar on several occasions.

He is a nightmare for defenders on the wing with his capacity to find gaps for himself and for forwards while always being a threat to score. He has immense dribbling skills and plays with speed. 

His first appearance in La Liga came at the end of last season, so expect Mourinho to keep developing this player into a force.