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Considered one of the best academies in the footballing world, Real Madrid's La Fabrica has produced some of the best players in the game. Since 1942, "The Factory" has seen numerous stars come and go. Many of them have made their mark in Europe and other continents of the world.
However, it is not easy for a player to graduate from La Fabrica and rise through the ranks to the first team at the Santiago Bernabeu. With the Galacticos policy - bringing football's biggest stars to Real Madrid - it is a rare feat to see a youngster in the first team.
Daniel Carvajal, Nacho Fernandez, and Lucas Vazquez are just some of the few players who have graduated from the academy and currently play for Real Madrid. For the majority of The Factory's graduates, greener pastures lie in other clubs or countries.
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The sheer number of graduates that currently ply their trade at other clubs is rather stunning, and here are five of the very best. These graduates may have left the famed Santiago Bernabeu, but they remain immersed on football's biggest stage.
#5 Pablo Sarabia | Sporting CP (on loan from Paris Saint-Germain)
Now 29-year-old, much of Pablo Sarabia's successes have come with Paris Saint-Germain. However, the Spaniard's story started in Spain.
Joining Real Madrid's academy in 2004, Sarabia graduated in 2009 and was soon called up to Castilla, Real Madrid's B team. Soon enough, the star settled into life with Castilla, playing 49 games and scoring 15 goals over the course of two seasons. It didn't take long for other clubs in Spain to notice the star, especially as he played just one game for Los Blancos' first team.
A move to Getafe came calling in 2011, and Sarabia went on to cement himself as one of the best players in the club.
He then moved to Sevilla in 2016 and performed tremendously, scoring 43 goals in 151 appearances. This caught the eye of PSG, who snatched him up in the summer of 2019.
The 29-year-old attacking midfielder is currently on loan at Sporting CP, joining last summer. He has enjoyed a good display in front of goal, scoring 14 goals in 39 games in all competitions.
#4 Sergio Reguilon | Tottenham Hotspur
Like Sarabia, Sergio Reguilon was deemed good enough to be offered a professional contract right after graduating from The Factory. However, Reguilon certainly had more chances to showcase his talent. He played 22 first-team games for Real Madrid, providing three assists.
It wouldn't be enough to keep Reguilon at the Santiago Bernabeu, as the star was often loaned out to other clubs in Spain.
He joined La Fabrica in 2005 and remained there for a decade before graduating. He was then sent to Castilla in 2015 and the Spaniard played for Madrid's B team for two seasons, making 48 appearances.
Even when he eventually got his chance at the Santiago Bernabeu, it didn't last long, with the club loaning him out to Sevilla in 2019. Eventually, Tottenham Hotspur came calling in the summer of 2020, and the star has flourished, playing 65 games for the English outfit.
#3 Alvaro Morata | Juventus
Alvaro Morata and Sarabia have threaded similar paths for some time, as they both graduated from La Fabrica together in 2010. However, their paths diverged, with Sarabia leaving and Morata staying at Real Madrid and working his way into the first team.
Notable for his goalscoring, the star scored a stunning 45 goals in just 83 games for Castilla. It was enough to call him up to the Santiago Bernabeu.
Making his debut with the first-team side soon after his graduation from the academy, Morata was clearly destined for greatness. From 2012 to 2014, the star racked up over 40 appearances for Real Madrid.
However, his goalscoring had noticeably reduced, with the star managing just 11 goals across those two seasons. He eventually left for Juventus in 2014. He then returned to the Santiago Bernabeu in 2016 for a single season.
He then joined Chelsea before moving to Atletico Madrid in 2018. He is currently on loan at Juventus.
#2 Marcos Llorente | Atletico Madrid
It's not often that a player graduates from Real Madrid's academy and then spends the rest of their career with arch-rivals Athletico Madrid. Marcos Llorente joined La Fabrica in 2008, spending six years under Los Blancos' tutelage and graduating in 2014. He continued with the side afterwards, playing with Castilla for two seasons.
He soon joined the first team at the Santiago Bernabeu, but Llorente would never become more than a fringe player for the Spanish giants. In the three seasons he spent with Real Madrid, the star garnered just 39 senior appearances. He nearly crossed in one season on loan at Alaves (38).
Eventually, Llorente made the switch to the Wanda Metropolitano in 2019. With Atletico, he has enjoyed more game time, making 45 appearances last season itself. He also won La Liga with Atletico last season.
#1 Achraf Hakimi | PSG
Perhaps one of the most exciting prospects of the decade, Achraf Hakimi's presence on the right flank has kept PSG fans highly entertained. The Morocco international also livened up the game on the right wing with Inter Milan last season. He actively became one of the best attacking fullbacks in the world.
However, it all started at Real Madrid's La Fabrica, where young Hakimi spent a decade till his graduation in 2016.
He was brilliant with Castilla, making 28 appearances and providing eight assists and one goal. He also made 17 appearances for Real Madrid's first team. However, it wasn't enough to cement the position for the star at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Hakimi eventually went on loan to Borussia Dortmund in 2018, where he lit up his right flank over the course of two seasons. The 23-year-old eventually joined the Nerazzurri, helping them to an unprecedented Serie A title win in 2021. Now with PSG, the star looks set to win Ligue 1 with the French giants.
