Key Points

He took his first steps as a footballer as a five-year-old with Betera before spending three seasons in UD Levante’s youth system. After joining Real Madrid’s academy in 2018 – when he was just 13 years old – he rose through Los Blancos’ youth ranks and soon made the step up to senior level, spending the 2024/25 campaign with the second team in the Spanish third division.

The holding midfielder registered three assists in 35 appearances for Real Madrid Castilla, as well as two direct goal involvements in 13 UEFA Youth League outings. He made three appearances for Madrid’s first team – two in La Liga and another in the Copa del Rey – and was part of Xabi Alonso’s squad at the FIFA Club World Cup this summer.

"My first impressions are very positive – I’m happy to be here and looking forward to my first training session with my new team-mates. The Bundesliga is a great league – I’ve always dreamt of moving to a special club in one of the top leagues and taking my next steps there. I want to do my bit to ensure VfB continue their success and help us win a lot of games together," said Andres.

Chema is a current Spanish youth international and has represented his country at U18 and U19 level. He has won 14 youth caps in total so far, scoring once, and was part of the Spain side that won the European Under-19 Championship in 2024.

Fabian Wohlgemuth, VfB’s board member for sport, said, "In Chema Andrés, we’ve signed a player who is a very good fit for the profile we’re looking for in the defensive midfield position. Chema is already performing at a high level, he’s well educated in a footballing and tactical sense, and as a young player he still has huge potential to improve. We’re delighted that Chema has chosen VfB and warmly welcome him to Stuttgart."

- IANS