The depth of talent in Barcelona’s Cadet A squad has been well-documented, from Diego Almeida at the back to Leo dos Reis up top and a bounty in the middle. Carles Martínez has five skilled midfielders to occupy three spots and somehow he fits them all on the field at the same time. For all the promise of the other four, they all follow the tricky playmaker from Zaragoza who also happens to wear the captain’s armband, Jorge Alastuey.
While his teammates follow his lead, Alastuey spent his youngest years following in his older brother Nacho’s footsteps. Born May 14, 2003, Jorge with his left-foot and Nacho with his right learned the sport under the supervision of their father Ignacio. Playing locally in Zaragoza, Jorge joined the Alevín team of the city’s biggest club, Real Zaragoza, at the age of ten.
Already on the radar of some of the biggest clubs in Spain, Alastuey was formally approached by FC Barcelona after a phenomenal display at a youth tournament in Argentona, Barcelona. He joined La Masia with Infantil A in the summer of 2016 amidst a tumultuous time for the young man and his family. His mother passed away and his moving to La Masia separated him from his family for the first time. With maturity far beyond his age, the player made the move and began his ascent through the ranks.
He wore the captain’s armband with Cadet B previously and carried that honor with him to Cadet A for the current campaign. The 15-year-old is a ’10’ by nature, an attacking midfielder that uses his dribbling and vision as his primary weapons. Aside from being trusted with the occasional penalty shot and free kick opportunity, Alastuey’s skill on the ball almost forces the coaching staff to create their formation around him instead of putting him in a situation that doesn’t get the best out of him.
Using his trademark left foot, he patrols the middle of the field as a constant threat to shoot from long range while being even more dangerous if given the time to provide a pass. He has continued his meteoric rise this season, winning the MVP at the Istria Youth Cup in Croatia in October as his team took home the trophy. Ten days later, he was called up to the Spain U-16s alongside teammates David Navarro and Alejandro Balde.
His brother, meanwhile, has returned to the Ciudad Deportiva del Real Zaragoza, joining the Juvenil A as a central midfielder from nearby EM El Olivar. The three hours of separation doesn’t seem to have affected the two brothers as they appear to see and speak frequently. With the younger Alastuey’s potential on full display in a group of terrific talents, it may only be a matter of time before the older brother is the one asking for advice.
