Jesus Vallejo joined Real Madrid from Real Zaragoza in the summer of 2015, but the centre-back has not yet made his first-team debut for Los Blancos after spending the last two years on loan at Zaragoza and Eintracht Frankfurt respectively.
Vallejo had actually represented Zaragoza since the age of 10, progressing through the various age groups before making his first-team debut in August 2014. Real Madrid only needed to watch the Spaniard for one season before deciding to sign him to a six-year contract in a reported €6m deal.
At that point, Vallejo would have found it extremely difficult to break into the Real Madrid first team, and it was not a surprise when he was loaned back to Zaragoza for the 2015-16 season – making a further 20 league appearances in the Segunda Division.
There was talk of Vallejo forming part of the Real Madrid first team last summer, but the defender was sent on loan to German outfit Frankfurt, where he made 25 Bundesliga appearances for The Eagles, in addition to helping the club reach the German Cup final.
It is understood that Frankfurt were keen on keeping Vallejo for another year, but the 20-year-old revealed in June that he would be returning to the Bernabeu for the 2017-18 campaign.
"It was my dream when I signed for Real Madrid two years ago to be part of the first team. This dream has now come true. But it would never have been possible without the help of Eintracht Frankfurt,” said Vallejo.
Vallejo will enter the new campaign off the back of helping Spain Under-21s reach the final of the European Under-21 Championships in Poland, with his performances at the heart of the defence drawing a host of praise.
Despite only turning 20 in January, Vallejo now has 72 professional football matches under his belt, and there is no question that the centre-back will have benefited from two seasons out on loan, rather than the alternative of turning out for Real Madrid Castilla.
In truth, there was not a spot for Vallejo at Real Madrid last season. Sergio Ramos, as captain, is the key man at centre-back, while Raphael Varane, Pepe and Nacho helped fill the other position during the 2016-17 campaign.
Pepe has now moved on to Besiktas, however, while there are question marks over the fitness of Varane, who only started 23 La Liga matches last season. Varane and Ramos will start the season as Zinedine Zidane’s first-choice centre-back partnership, but muscular problems have harmed the former’s progress.
Nacho is not considered a first-team regular at Real Madrid, but the 27-year-old made 35 appearances last season, and actually started more league games than Varane. With Real Madrid regularly advancing deep into every competition they enter, there are plenty of matches to go around.
Standing at 6ft and boasting an impressive frame, Vallejo has the physical attributes needed to cope as a centre-back at the top level of football. Meanwhile, his ability on the ground has improved after spending time in the fast-paced Bundesliga. There have been comparisons with a young Ramos, and the player himself has welcomed such suggestions.
"When I was a little boy and went to La Romareda I always looked up to Gabriel Milito and also Alberto Zapater because I played in my first youth years in midfield like he did,” said Vallejo.
"Today, of course, I am focusing on Sergio Ramos, but not just on him, on all the good central defenders – especially those of Real Madrid who are the best in the world."
The quick, no-nonsense centre-back actually captained Zaragoza at the age of 18, and two years later, he will turn out for arguably the biggest club in the world.
His style is similar to that of an old-fashioned English central defender, and after costing just €6m, Vallejo might well turn out to be one of the bargains of the century. For now, the Spaniard will look to play his part for a team that has dominated European football in recent seasons.
