Cestero, a year after the praise that put him in the spotlight: a rise and setbacks

A year after Arbeloa brought him into the spotlight with a memorable phrase, Cestero is an undisputed starter at Castilla and one of the team’s four captains. At 20, he is also a regular under Mourinho. His market value has climbed to 7.5 million euros, making him the most valuable player in the reserve squad.

On October 12 of the previous year, a phrase that went viral brought Jorge Cestero to wider attention. Arbeloa had chosen to single out a player who was one of the standout prospects at La Fábrica. The reserve-team coach at the time summed up his view this way: «This is Castilla’s team of Manuel Ángel and Palacios, but also of Cestero, who, for me, is the best number 6 in Spain right now.» Arbeloa had also called him «the best number 6 in Spain».

Since then, Cestero has become one of La Fábrica’s leading young players. Promoted to Castilla at the end of his youth-team spell, he made his mark there last season and renewed his contract with Real Madrid, which accelerated negotiations to secure his future. He later entered Arbeloa’s plans when the coach moved up to the first team, starting in Arbeloa’s first line-up with Real Madrid in the cup against Albacete. The night ended with the club’s elimination. Arbeloa subsequently changed course, and Cestero disappeared from the first-team picture.

The latest episode brought controversy: Cestero had a disagreement with Castilla coach Julián López de Lerma after being left on the bench against Sant Andreu three weeks earlier.