Real Madrid News
Real Madrid teenage gem will not join Premier League club, to remain in Mourinho’s squad – Romano
After signing Gonzalo Garcia and Cesar Palacios for Fulham, Alvaro Arbeloa had set his sights on another young prospect from Real Madrid in the form of Thiago Pitarch.
Indeed, the former Los Blancos boss was keen on reuniting the 18-year-old midfield prospect who was one of the few highlights of his short-lived tenure as the first-team manager at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Considering that Real Madrid are well-stocked in midfield, the possibility of Thiago Pitarch, currently sidelined with an injury, seemed genuine as well.
Pitarch set to stay
However, according to Fabrizio Romano, Pitarch is no longer expected to join Fulham in the current summer transfer window.
The Premier League club have recently signed Shea Charles, which all but puts an end to their pursuit of the Real Madrid teenage midfielder.
As such, Pitarch will stay at the Santiago Bernabeu and remain a part of Jose Mourinho’s first-team squad for the coming season.
With the club unveiling the new shirt numbers for the 2026/27 season on Monday, Pitarch was shown to be a part of the senior setup, although with a reserve team number, as he will be donning the No. 27 kit.
Plenty of competition for places
Pitarch was one of the few positives for Real Madrid last season, impressing a great deal since making his first-team debut in January under Arbeloa.
The 18-year-old prospect, who also excelled at the U-19 European Championships earlier this summer, even pushed Eduardo Camavinga lower on the pecking order, featuring in important matches against the likes of Manchester City and Bayern Munich.
However, competition for places in midfield is set to be intense at Real Madrid in the upcoming season.
Mourinho has brought in Bernardo Silva this summer, who is expected to operate in the double pivot, potentially alongside Aurelien Tchouameni or Federico Valverde.
Meanwhile, Camavinga has no intentions of leaving the club, while Arda Guler and Jude Bellingham are also ahead of Thiago in the pecking order when it comes to competition in midfield.
Therefore, getting minutes under Mourinho for the upcoming season will not be easy for the teenager, who is currently recovering from a knee injury he sustained soon after returning for pre-season training.
Real Madrid News
Real Madrid weighing up January move for €70 million-rated Arsenal midfielder – report
Real Madrid’s midfield is the one department where Jose Mourinho sees clear scope for improvement, especially given that the club did not sanction his wish for a top midfield signing in the summer.
While Bernardo Silva has chipped in as a handy option to feature in the deep midfield, the club still lacks a controlling and creative option who can glue the team together.
In that sense, there is a clear lacuna that Real Madrid need to address and Defensa Central brings to light that the club have opened up to a potential target.
Zubimendi emerges as a target
Indeed, the player in question is Arsenal’s Martin Zubimendi who the club have seen as a target for a long time, and Real Madrid could even go on to sign him in January.
The Spanish international has not started off the new season well under Mikel Arteta and has primarily featured as a substitute. He does, thus, see a move to Madrid with good eyes in every sense.
Real Madrid, for their part, have not ruled out his signing as was reported in recent months and there is even a chance they seriously pursue him in the winter transfer window as a mid-season fix.
The possible fee
The Spanish outlet also add that Zubimendi’s move to Real Madrid could be completed for a fee similar to what Arsenal paid for the player for his transfer from Real Sociedad – €70 million.
Mourinho’s insistence on making a new midfield signing is no secret, and with a clear target now in mind, the board could well back him with the player he wishes.
Notably, however, even Chelsea are seriously interested in his signing.
So far, Federico Valverde has been Real Madrid’s mainstay in midfield, and Aurelien Tchouameni’s return will change the team’s dynamics in the department.
Neither player, however, offers the control and distribution skill set that the team direly lack.
A big part of whether or not the club pushes for Zubimendi, however, will depend on how the Valverde-Tchouameni combination plays out in the coming months. It is, after all, the manager’s first-choice combination for big games.
