Real Madrid News
Real Madrid academy starlet turned down exit offers; tipped to make first-team jump under Mourinho
Real Madrid made many Castilla sales over the course of the summer transfer window, with the academy emerging as a major source of income for the club.
The sales, in turn, allowed Los Blancos to invest that money towards improving the first-team squad at Jose Mourinho’s disposal.
Florentino Perez brought in as many as six players in the market for the first team, with Yan Diomande emerging as their record acquisition.
Now, according to AS, one Castilla player who chose patience over an early exit from the club was 19-year-old Joan Martinez.
The central defender had several offers to leave the club this summer but decided to stay with Castilla and push for a first-team berth.
Joan chooses another year at Castilla
There was some uncertainty surrounding the teenager’s future at the club, with Joan starting on the bench behind Oscar Naasei in Castilla’s opening match of the season.
However, with the transfer window now shut, the decision is clear. Joan will remain at Castilla for what could be his final season with the reserve team, and expectations around him are significantly higher than before.
Last season, he made 36 appearances, scored three goals and accumulated 2,883 minutes. That campaign was also shaped by his recovery from the serious knee injury suffered the previous year.
By the end of the season, however, Joan had become an important figure in the Castilla defence. This year, Madrid expect him to make the step up.
A season to become the leader
The challenge is no longer simply to return to his previous level.
Joan is now expected to become one of Castilla’s defensive leaders and show that he can dominate regularly rather than merely have first-team potential.
A move elsewhere might have offered senior football, but another year inside Madrid’s structure gives Joan the chance to play consistently while remaining close to Jose Mourinho’s first-team plans.
He already featured during pre-season, starting against Fiorentina and Ferencvaros, and Mourinho publicly praised the young defender while also highlighting that he needed to improve his physicality.
Joan has since lost some first-team prominence and was not included once La Liga began, but that does not mean the pathway has closed.
He is still expected to train with Mourinho’s squad at times and could receive opportunities if injuries, suspensions or rotation create space.
Once touted to be the next big thing in Castilla, Joan’s development has been disrupted in recent seasons by an ACL injury.
However, with the teenager now fit and opting to stay, the onus is on him to step up and take his game to the next level this season.
This could be a make-or-break season for Joan to get his Madrid career on track, and it remains to be seen whether he can make the most of it and give Mourinho a difficult decision to make through the course of the season.
Real Madrid News
Manchester United launch final push to sign Real Madrid outcast; club resists permanent exit
Manchester United are stepping up their pursuit of Endrick as the Brazilian forward’s future at Real Madrid becomes increasingly uncertain, with a potential January loan move emerging as a solution to his lack of regular playing time.
According to Bernabeu Digital, Manchester United are making a final push to convince the 19-year-old to join them.
However, negotiations could prove complicated because the Premier League club is interested in including a purchase option in the deal, while Real Madrid are not currently planning to give up permanent control of the striker.
Endrick’s limited opportunities under Jose Mourinho this season have opened the door to a temporary departure, with AC Milan and Tottenham also emerging as potential destinations.
Why Manchester United want Endrick?
Manchester United are looking for greater attacking productivity and believe Endrick could provide a different dimension to their forward line.
The Premier League club has also been linked with the Brazilian in the past, as they assess options to improve their goalscoring output after a poor start to the season.
Notably, his situation at Real Madrid makes a move more plausible, as Endrick has struggled to secure consistent minutes, and the club is considering a loan that would give him the chance to play regularly.
However, United’s preferred terms could become the biggest obstacle.
The English side reportedly wants the option to buy Endrick at the end of the loan, potentially giving them a route to a permanent transfer if he impresses.
Real Madrid reject permanent Endrick exit
Real Madrid’s preference is understood to be a straightforward loan without a purchase option.
The club want Endrick to gain experience elsewhere before returning to compete for a place in the squad, rather than risk losing a young forward they have invested in for the future.
His previous loan spell at Lyon provides a possible model for another temporary move, although any agreement would depend on the terms offered and the player’s own preferences.
Manchester United are prepared to make an attractive financial proposal in an effort to secure his arrival, but money alone may not resolve the disagreement if Real Madrid remain unwilling to include a purchase clause.
