Which Real Madrid players make a LaLiga best XI of U23 players for 2021/22?

Real Madrid have so many excellent young players, either as part of the XI, on the bench, on loan, in Castilla, or even at other clubs in Europe with Los Blancos owning partial ownership or a buy-back clause on the player.

This season, Real Madrid won LaLiga and the Champions League as a partial result of the massive contributions from their young stars.

So let’s take a look at which players associated with the Merengue club would be in a best XI of U23 players in the Spanish top flight, based on their performances in the 2021/22 season.

Valencia GK Giorgi Mamardashvili

We begin with the only U23 goalkeeper to make at least 10 appearances this season, Valencia’s Giorgi Mamardashvili. He supplanted veteran Jasper Cillessen in February after the former Barcelona goalkeeper went down injured, and he never looked back. Mamardashvili was behind only Bono and Thibaut Courtois in save percentage among LaLiga keepers. The 20-year-old is one of the best young keepers in Europe, one of the best keepers in LaLiga, and extremely underrated. More people should know his name.

Rayo Vallecano/Real Madrid LB Fran Garcia

Fran Garcia counts as a Real Madrid player in my book, because if the Merengues want, they can purchase the left back from Rayo Vallecano for just five million euros, given they have 50/50 ownership of the former Castilla standout.

A great athlete who stood out in 1-0 upset victories over Barcelona, Garcia will be one of the best left backs in LaLiga for years to come. You could already make the case that he was the best left back in the league for the 2021/22 campaign.

Athletic Bilbao CB Dani Vivian

Another very underrated player, Dani Vivian gets overshadowed by the other great young center backs in LaLiga, such as Real Madrid’s Eder Militao, Sevilla’s Jules Kounde, and Villarreal’s Pau Torres.

But those guys are no longer under the age of 23, so now it is Vivian’s time to make these kinds of lists. Vivian is one of a few exciting up-and-coming talents at the historic Basque club, and he fits them perfectly. He will be one of the best center backs in the league in no time and a real pain for Madridistas.

Getafe CB Jorge Cuenca

Speaking of being a pain, Jorge Cuenca is another player who suits his club perfectly. The 22-year-old Spaniard is about as much of a pest as you’d expect any Getafe defensive player to be. Cuenca was solid for the lower-table side last season, dribbled past just 0.2 times per game, even better than Vivian’s own impressive 0.3 average.

Barcelona RB Sergino Dest

Basically, this selection is by default, because Sergino Dest doesn’t seem like a long-term solution at the right back position for La Blaugrana. Still, he was a threat to Real Madrid in the first Clasico as an attacking option, and he is good at supporting attacks. There were no other options at the position in LaLiga, and Dest wasn’t all bad, of course. He had three assists and pass completion rate above 92, as well as nearly two dribbles completed per game.