Real Madrid News
Real Madrid reject Lille move for 19-year-old promising midfielder
Real Madrid have made a firm decision over the future of one of their most promising young midfielders, with Lille seeing an approach for Thiago Pitarch rejected.
According to Mario Cortegana of The Athletic, the Ligue 1 club identified the 19-year-old Real Madrid talent as a potential replacement for Ayyoub Bouaddi, who is set to join Manchester City in a deal worth an initial €95 million plus €5 million in add-ons.
However, despite the interest from France, Real Madrid have no intention of allowing Pitarch to leave.
The midfielder only recently signed an improved contract and the club’s decision to reject Lille’s approach shows how his situation has changed in recent weeks.
Lille see Pitarch as ideal Bouaddi replacement
Lille’s interest comes at a difficult moment for the French side.
Bouaddi is set to leave the club following Manchester City’s huge move, forcing Lille to search for a midfielder capable of filling a significant gap in the squad.
Pitarch has emerged as a leading candidate for Lille head coach Davide Ancelotti, who has a strong history with Real Madrid.
The young midfielder already has first-team experience at Santiago Bernabeu, having enjoyed a remarkable breakthrough last season while becoming the club’s youngest player to feature in a Champions League quarter-final.
That rise made him an attractive option for a club looking to replace one of Europe’s most valuable young midfielders.
However, Real Madrid have closed the door on a potential transfer.
The club’s official website lists Pitarch as a first-team midfielder for the 2026/27 season, with the youngster wearing the No. 27 shirt while retaining his Castilla registration.
Pitarch survives uncertain summer after Mourinho arrival
Pitarch’s position was far from secure earlier in the transfer window.
His breakthrough had come under Alvaro Arbeloa, but the change in the dugout and the arrival of Jose Mourinho created fresh uncertainty around the teenager.
With Bernardo Silva arriving and Mourinho pushing for further midfield additions, Pitarch appeared to have a real chance of leaving in search of regular opportunities.
But Real Madrid’s failed pursuit of Rodri appears to have changed the picture.
Instead of bringing in another major midfield name, the club have moved to protect their homegrown option.
Reports earlier this month suggested that Mourinho wanted Pitarch to remain involved with the first-team group once he recovered from injury, despite his Castilla registration.
His immediate focus, though, remains recovery, as Pitarch has not featured during pre-season after suffering an injury shortly after returning, and he was also unavailable for the La Liga opener against Espanyol.
Real Madrid News
Real Madrid forward Vinicius Jr. admits finishing problem after another frustrating night vs Elche: ‘Can’t miss that much’
Vinicius Jr.’s difficult start in front of goal continued against Elche, and the Real Madrid forward did not need anyone to tell him he had missed another chance to make the difference.
The Brazilian finished the night without a goal despite having chances to get on the scoresheet, while his teammates could only watch from the bench as opportunities went begging.
Jose Mourinho had already identified the problem before kick-off, bluntly pointing to the issue facing his forward, stating, “He’s missing the goal.”
Vini offered an equally frank assessment afterwards.
Rather than hide from another frustrating evening, he accepted responsibility on social media: “The goals will come back; I can’t miss that much…”
Two chances, no finish for Vinicius
Vinicius had two particularly clear openings against Elche, but neither produced the finish Real Madrid needed from their star forward.
The first arrived when he found himself one-on-one with the opposition goalkeeper.
Instead of finding the net, Vinicius caught the ball with the tip of his foot and sent his effort wide. Arda Guler was available during the move and called for the ball, but Vini backed himself to finish the chance.
He had another opportunity after the interval, this time following an excellent pass from Guler during a quick Real Madrid transition. Again, though, Vinicius could not find the target.
His evening ended in the 68th minute, with Mourinho deciding the Brazilian was tired and turning his attention towards Sunday’s Atletico Madrid derby.
Mourinho has a bigger decision to make
The numbers show why Vinicius’ finishing has become a talking point. He managed five shots against Elche, but only one was on target and none found the net.
After seven appearances this season, the Brazilian has scored just once, which is a striking return for a player Real Madrid rely upon to provide a major share of their attacking threat.
Ultimately, though, Real Madrid found another route to victory, with Arda Guler, Kylian Mbappe and Carlos Espi providing the goals in the 3-2 comeback.
