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Federico Redondo is levelling up...

The son of a Real Madrid legend has just enrolled onto the Messi & Busquets apprenticeship

Mitchell Wilks •

The task of carrying an iconic surname often proves too much for plenty of stars, but that pressure ramps up tenfold when you’re continuing the legacy of a Real Madrid legend.

Fernando Redondo might not be remembered as one of football’s sexiest players on the pitch, but he was undoubtedly one of the best from his era.

A defensive midfielder which most clubs would hurl themselves towards bankruptcy for these days, Redondo won two Champions League titles with Real and two La Liga titles, before adding another Champions League to his already stacked trophy cabinet with Milan.

Simply put, the Argentine was different gravy. Completely. If Redondo was gravy and the Argentines appreciated it as much as us Brits do, he’d be on every meal they ever eat and there would be a prayer in his honour before every single one.

He was just that good. Not always the sexiest, but always that important.

It’s exactly that legacy which is what makes it incredibly hard for 21-year-old Federico Redondo to follow up his father in any way, but he’s made a promising start to his career so far and the signs are positive.

Born in Madrid, but representing Argentina through his family, young Federico signed with Argentinos Juniors aged 10 and has honed his craft at the base of midfield – like his father – virtually ever since, signing professional terms in 2021 and representing La Albiceleste at youth level.

A call-up to the pre-Olympics Argentina squad for 2024 has been the latest triumph to date in the 21-year-old’s blossoming career, but things might just be about to get a whole lot better.

Redondo is set to join MLS outfit Inter Miami, which doesn’t sound like much on the surface, but for a young baller looking to add minutes to their CV and hone their craft around senior pros, it’s the perfect next step.

It also means he’ll be sharing the pitch with Lionel Messi, Sergio Busquets, Jordi Alba and Luis Suarez – the first two being particularly crucial.

Considering he’s somewhat of a Busquets regen with potential through the roof, the chance to learn on the job alongside one of the game’s greatest holding midfielders is invaluable – even if it means he’s gone behind enemy lines to rub shoulders with Barcelona icons.

One look at his performances for Argentina in the Olympics qualifiers is testament to that frightening potential and the fact that he’s more than capable of living up to the Busquets comparisons and – crucially – the family name, with the right guidance.

Redondo by name, Busquets by nature. The lad has a blend of both in the way he struts around the field with a sickening nonchalance, nipping the ball away from attackers and popping his way out of pressure situations with ease.

At just 21, he’s got a press resistance that ought to make Busquets stand to attention when he heads to Miami and pulls on that pink jersey for the first time.

A move to Inter Miami at the very beginning of his career, when there’s been interest from some of Europe’s biggest clubs, sounds like insanity, but it’s quietly a stroke of genius from young Redondo, who is clearly already two steps ahead like his father was on the pitch.

Not only will he realise the dream of every young Argentine ever in playing alongside and learning from the immortal Messi, but he’ll undertake the perfect apprenticeship with Busquets ahead of him, priming him for that inevitable big-time move to Europe should he fulfil his potential.

It’s an incredibly exciting move. If the Barcelona reunion wasn’t reason enough to tune into Inter Miami games, then their capture of Redondo most certainly is.

Football’s Busquets regen is ready to announce himself to the world.

By Mitch Wilks

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