Xabi Alonso Blocks Sale Of Young Real Madrid Prodigy, MARCA Reports

Diego Aguado is set to be involved in the Real Madrid first team.

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Real Madrid is set to continue to integrate young blood into their team, following the tone set by new coach Xabi Alonso as he promoted young striker Gonzalo García into the line-up at the FIFA Club World Cup this summer. The next player who could be set for a first-team role could be full-back Diego Aguado.

The 18-year-old central defender has become an increasingly present figure in Real Madrid’s B-team, Castilla, who will be led by former first-team defender Álvaro Arbeloa this season with Aguado set to play a more regular role in 2025/26. Last season, he played every game for the under-19s team in the UEFA Youth League in the run to the last 16, and is likely to step up to Arbeloa’s side this season.

Aguado made his first team debut in the Copa del Rey in January 2025 under Carlo Ancelotti, though that remains his only first-team appearance to date. Alonso then included him in his FIFA Club World Cup squad this summer, including him on the bench, though he didn’t play any minutes, against Al Hilal and Pachuca.

Potential sale blocked by Xabi Alonso

Spanish daily newspaper MARCA reports that Xabi Alonso personally requested that the club rejected an approach to sell the youngster, as the club has looked to cash in on young players who will not make the cut with the first team.

German side Borussia Dortmund expressed a tangible interest in Aguado, but Real Madrid rejected any chance of a potential sale. Despite enquiries from several sides, Aguado is now likely to remain at Real Madrid and continue his progression through the youth teams and into Castilla.

As such, Aguado could be incorporated increasingly into the first-team set-up, as has already been indicated by his involvement in the FIFA Club World Cup squad. With fellow impressive young defender Joan Martínez also back from a long-term knee injury, as well as Raúl Asencio having broken into the side and Dean Huijsen having arrived from Bournemouth, there are a number of options available to Alonso in defence.

Alonso appears keen to introduce youngsters into his set-up, despite the sale and loan of several players who were on the fringes of the squad, such as midfielder Chema Andrés who joined Stuttgart earlier this month.

Who is Diego Aguado?

Aguado was born on February 7, 2007, in Madrid, joining La Fábrica, Real Madrid’s renowned youth academy, at the age of 10 in 2017 after beginning his football journey at his local club, Soto del Real. He has steadily risen through the youth ranks, reaching the under 19s level. He has also been capped by Spain at youth level, most recently by the under 19s, though he was not in the squad for their run to be beaten by Germany in the final of the Under 19 European Championship this summer.

The defender has been compared at times to his first-team teammate, David Alaba, particularly in his versatility, composure, and ball-playing ability. Like Alaba, Aguado is left-footed and is also comfortable operating both as a central defender and as a left-back. Though he is not a physical or aerially dominant player, much like Alaba, his reading and anticipation of the game help him to stand out, as well as his ability to build from the back with strong disitribution skills.

Having recently renewed his contract to 2029, including a €60 million ($68.6 million) release clause, Aguado looks set to have a long-term future at Real Madrid. With Alonso’s backing, he could become a face to remember for Madridistas.