Close watchers of Real Madrid's academy are getting increasingly enthusiastic about Cesar Palacios, a 17-year-old player. In a recent 5-0 victory over Fernando Torres' Atletico Madrid under-19 team, he scored twice, which should secure Los Blancos the league title. They now lead by three points with only two games remaining.

Palacios is one of the stars of Alvaro Arbeloa’s team. Earlier in the season he started all seven of the Juvenil A side’s games in the UEFA Youth League, scoring five goals and providing two assists.

He has 21 goals and 6 assists this season across all competitions. Prior to moving up to play for Arbeloa, Palacios joined from Numancia, where his father played, and has been scoring goals all along the way.

The five-year contract Real Madrid gave him in December, which guaranteed his future until 2027, is evidence of how highly they regard him at the club. Recently, Palacios scored in his under-19 Spain debut against Denmark.

Palacios is a vertical central midfielder with good mobility who can move up and down the field. He puts in a lot of effort on defense and is excellent at finding space between the lines to make vertical passes or advance on his own.

He also has a good eye for goal, as demonstrated by his statistics, and he moves forward frequently and effectively, though it has been suggested that occasionally he might be able to show a little bit more control with the ball. He is technically skilled and can pass, dribble, and shoot well, all of which he tries to do frequently.