Talent Scout: José María Callejón

July 1st, 2008 by SM Dev (ste)

The cantera policy adopted by many Spanish clubs never ceases to amaze me, and it seems as though Real Madrid Castilla have done it again.

Within the past 18 months the likes of Álvaro Negredo, Rubén de la Red, Miguel Torres, Esteban Granero, Javier García, and Adrián González have all passed through the ranks of Real Madrid Castilla and made their mark on La Liga. The latest player to graduate is José María Callejón, and the question is is he about to make his name in La Liga as well?

Last season Real Madrid Castilla plyed their trade in Segunda División B following their relegation from La Segunda. Despite Callejón scoring 21 goals in 37 games for Castilla they only finished fifth, and failed to return to La Segunda on the first time of asking. His performances earned him a place in the Spanish U21 squad in March, and he made his debut against Kazakhstan in a 2009 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship qualifier. The forward came on as a 46th-minute substitute, replacing Bojan Krkić, and scored a goal in the 60th minute as Spain won the match 5–0.

His performances and skill on the ball also caught the eye of several scouts from La Liga (see the video below), and this has resulted in a transfer to Espanyol.

José María Callejón has joined Espanyol on a four year contract from Castilla, and his transfer fee is around the 1.2 million Euro mark. The U21 Spanish international is currently a 72 rated forward, and if (as expected) he breaks into their first team during the course of the season then he could easily hit a rating around the mid-80s within 12 months.

Please Note: There is no guarantee that the player(s) named within this article will have an increase in rating, as the above information is my opinion, and not that of the SM Researchers. It is also your own responsibility if you decide to take a chance on the information I have provided.

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