Real Madrid’s 18-year-old summer signing making headlines with incredible scoring record at La Fabrica

Real Madrid’s 18-year-old summer signing making headlines with incredible scoring record at La Fabrica Real Madrid have an excellent scouting network that is very astute at identifying talented young footballers for the club. Los Blancos have had immense success in bringing in talented youngsters, developing them and either involving them in the first-team picture or selling them for huge sums. One such summer signing for La Fabrica is Fran Santamaria . The 18-year-old striker has immediately made an impression since arriving from Castellon. Santamaria has established himself as the leading goalscorer for the Juvenil A team. According to Diario AS , the teenager has already scored nine goals. He is averaging one goal every 66 minutes, and his exceptional efficiency has helped the youth side emerge as leaders in both their domestic division and the UEFA Youth League. Santamaria making an immediate impact at Real Madrid Santamaria has been particularly impressive in recent weeks. He has scored consecutive braces against Merida and Toledo. View this post on Instagram A post shared by 🧠🤲🏽 (@_fransantamaria._) His goalscoring instinct is what has caught the eye. The teenager seems to have a natural eye for goal. Santamaria needed just 19 minutes to score on his Juvenil A debut, eventually scoring a brace on his maiden appearance. He also scored against Inter Milan in the Youth League. He backed that up with some memorable performances in the U-20 Intercontinental Cup. Santamaria found the net against Santiago Wanderers in the final to help Madrid secure the title. From Castellon youngster to La Fabrica sensation The 18-year-old was originally a winger before injuries to two teammates prompted his coach to play him as a centre-forward. That decision by his former coach has changed Santamaria’s career for the better. He is now 1.85 metres tall and looks like a natural striker inside the box. View this post on Instagram A post shared by 🧠🤲🏽 (@_fransantamaria._) He is comfortable on either foot, shows intelligent movement and looks like he has the potential to rise through the ranks. Los Blancos had recognised his obvious potential before signing him last summer, making him Castellon’s most expensive academy departure. However, his development needs to be handled with care. Thriving at Juvenil A level and being ready for the first team are not the same thing. Santamaria still needs to improve his physicality, develop tactically and keep rising through the ranks before he can enter that conversation. It will be interesting to keep tabs on how the 18-year-old develops in the coming years and whether he emerges as a first-team option in the coming seasons.