Real Madrid News
18-year-old Real Madrid starlet set to sign a new long-term contract
Real Madrid’s talented young defender Youssef Enriquez Lekhedim, who goes by Yusi, is poised to extend his contract with the club until 2028, reports Mario Cortegana of The Athletic.
Yusi, who turned 18 last month, has a year and a half remaining on his current deal with Los Blancos.
However, the Spanish capital club plans to incorporate a substantial release clause into the teenage defender’s new agreement.
The young left-back joined Real Madrid at the age of 11 from Fuenlabrada. He played an important role in the club’s national treble-winning Juvenil A team last season, after being promoted by Alvaro Arbeloa.
In the ongoing campaign, Yusi has played five times for Real Madrid’s Juvenil A side in the UEFA Youth League, registering a solitary assist in the process.
Although he had regularly played for Spain’s youth team, he decided to represent Morocco this summer.
Real Madrid are doing their bit to secure the futures of young talents coming through the youth ranks at the club.
Indeed, the Merengues recently offered talented youngster Jose Reyes Lopez his first-ever professional contract.
Real Madrid ‘C’ striker Angel Carvajal also had his contract renewed by the club. And now, Yusi appears set to be handed a new contract by the La Liga heavyweights.
Real Madrid prospect Alexis Ciria will have to wait for his Champions League opportunity despite making a strong impression on Jose Mourinho during pre-season.
The Castilla winger has been left out of Real Madrid’s European squad, but the decision is the consequence of UEFA registration rules rather than a sporting judgment.
According to journalist Arancha Rodriguez (h/t Defensa Central), Ciria was not eligible for Madrid’s List B because he has not been with the club long enough to satisfy UEFA’s requirements.
Registering him would therefore have required Mourinho to include him on the more restrictive List A.
UEFA rules work against Ciria
List B provides clubs with additional flexibility to register young academy players, but being young enough is not sufficient on its own.
Players must also meet requirements concerning how long they have been eligible to represent the club.
Ciria does not meet those conditions because of his limited time at Valdebebas. Real Madrid would therefore have needed to sacrifice a List A position to register him.
With those places required for members of Mourinho’s senior squad, Ciria was ultimately left out.
Real Madrid’s List B instead includes youngsters such as Joan Martinez, Mario Rivas, Thiago Pitarch, Jorge Cestero and Daniel Yanez.
Many of these youngsters made a name for themselves under Mourinho during pre-season and could be used to make up the numbers in the Champions League squad.
They could also get some minutes off the bench, especially against relatively easier opposition, as Jose Mourinho looks to manage first-team minutes.
Mourinho still plans first-team opportunity
Importantly for Ciria, missing the Champions League squad does not appear to reflect a change in Mourinho’s opinion of him.
The youngster impressed during pre-season and is expected to continue spending time around the senior team.
Mourinho intends to give Ciria his official first-team debut during the season. That opportunity will now have to arrive in La Liga or the Copa del Rey.
The Portuguese tactician placed a lot of emphasis on trusting Castilla players during pre-season in the absence of first-team stars.
Ciria was one of the many names who made a name for themselves at Real Madrid during pre-season. He deserves a chance in the first team, and it remains to be seen how Jose plans his development.
