Cesar Palacios is fighting for a place at Real Madrid under Mourinho


Cesar Palacios is considered one of the brightest talents in the Real Madrid academy. A regular for Castilla, the 21-year-old attacking midfielder made his first-team debut last season under Alvaro Arbeloa. Heading into the upcoming summer, his future was uncertain as Alvaro Arbeloa was replaced by Jose Mourinho as the new coach. According to reports from AS, Palacios will take part in pre-season with Mourinho's first team, hoping to convince the Portuguese coach that he deserves a place in the senior squad. A return to Castilla is no longer on the cards and with Dani Ceballos gone and Nico Paz's return ruled out, the academy graduate believes he has a real chance of earning a role in the first team. At a key point in his career, the attacking midfielder switched national teams, leaving Stellar Group for Best of You as he prepares for a decisive summer regarding his future. With a year left on his contract, Palacios is determined to fight for his place at Real Madrid before considering a move elsewhere. Real Madrid still sees Palacios as one of the most promising academy graduates. If he ultimately leaves in search of regular football, the club intends to structure the deal in such a way as to maintain long-term control over his future, similar to players such as Victor Munoz and Nico Paz. The midfielder attracted interest from clubs from the five biggest leagues in Europe. Athletic Club has been monitoring him for months, while several Premier League clubs have already made attractive offers. One of the possible foreign destinations is Fulham, where Arbeloa is starting his new project. Meanwhile, Como is also showing interest. However, according to sources close to the player, Palacios is solely focused on impressing Mourinho before considering any move. Palacios earned his chance with the first team under Arbeloa, which gave him five league appearances, one Copa del Rey and one UEFA Champions League appearance. At Valdebebas, coaches have long praised his technical quality, saying: "The way he turns with the ball reminds us of Modric." Its versatility is considered one of its greatest advantages. Naturally playing as an attacking midfielder, Palacios is equally comfortable operating as a deeper number 8 and has even been used as a center forward and on the wings thanks to his goalscoring sense. Now, with a new representative body and a crucial pre-season ahead of him, Palacios enters a crucial stage of his career as he looks to prove he deserves a place at Real Madrid under Mourinho.