Real Madrid News
Real Madrid defensive prodigy signs first professional contract with the club
Real Madrid starlet Jesus Fortea has signed his first professional contract with the club, Mario Cortegana of The Athletic has revealed.
Fortea signed for Real Madrid last year, arriving from the youth academy of local rivals Atletico Madrid. It marked a significant moment as the deal saw Los Blancos break the verbal non-aggression pact between the two clubs over not signing players from one another.
The two clubs had respected the verbal pact for 15 years until Real Madrid decided to sign Fortea in the summer of 2022.
The teenager snubbed interest from clubs in England and Germany to join the Merengues and has been tipped for a bright future from those within the club.
Indeed, even though he only turned 16, Fortea has already established himself as a regular for Real Madrid’s Juvenil B (Under-18) setup.
In fact, the young right-back has also made his debut for the club’s Juvenil A (Under-19) team managed by former defender Alvaro Arbeloa.
Given the potential and progression he has shown, Real Madrid have been quick to tie Fortea down to a new contract, his first professional deal, after he turned 16 years old on March 26.
It is claimed that the youngster has signed a three-year contract on the same terms as those he agreed to when he joined Real Madrid last summer.
Capable of playing in advanced position on the right flank as well, Fortea has also been a regular for the Spanish national youth teams.
However, he was recently excluded from Spain’s U-17 team by head coach Julen Guerrero over disciplinary reasons, along with Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal and Atletico Madrid’s Daniel Munoz.
But, Real Madrid are understood to have had no issues with Fortea’s behaviour, with Cortegana adding that the club are very happy to have tied him down to a new contract.
One of the main objectives for Real Madrid this summer was to bring in a new central midfielder capable of controlling the tempo and dictating the play from the middle.
A move for Rodri was in the works before the Spain captain decided to sign for FC Barcelona. The Merengues assessed several other options, but ended up not signing any player, with Jose Mourinho deciding to use Bernardo Silva in the double pivot.
One of the midfielders that Real Madrid were looking at as an option was Adam Wharton of Crystal Palace.
The England international has been on the club’s radar for a while now, but the Premier League club never opened the door for a summer departure.
Wharton could be on the market in 2027
However, now, according to The Guardian (h/t Bernabeu Digital), That stance could change next year, as that Palace would be prepared to consider selling Wharton during the next summer transfer window.
As mentioned already, Real Madrid have closely followed Wharton’s situation throughout the summer, although the club ultimately decided against making any further additions to their midfield.
Manchester City and Chelsea also showed serious interest in signing the England international during the summer. However, Crystal Palace were unwilling to sell, effectively ruling out a move for the midfielder.
But it appears that they could open the doors for Wharton to leave in the summer of 2027, potentially paving the way for Real Madrid to make a move.
Real Madrid continue to monitor Wharton
Real Madrid are expected to keep a close eye on Wharton’s progress ahead of the 2027 market. Should they decide they need another high-quality midfielder, the 22-year-old could once again emerge as a candidate.
Manchester City may be less likely to return for Wharton after strengthening their midfield significantly this summer.
Chelsea, however, could remain a potential competitor after failing to add a player in the position during the latest window.
For now, Wharton will remain at Crystal Palace, but the club’s willingness to consider a sale next summer means the midfielder could become a realistic option for Real Madrid in 2027.
