Real Madrid News
Real Madrid youngster in talks to sign for La Liga club after France move collapses – report
Real Madrid Castilla forward Jacobo Ortega is currently in direct negotiations to join La Liga side Elche CF, reports journalist Angel Garcia.
The 20-year-old striker is looking to finalize a move to the Valencian club after a previously reported transfer that would have linked him to French Ligue 1 team Strasbourg completely broke down during the final stages of club-to-club talks.
Pivot to Spain after France move breakdown
Ortega had emerged as a primary summer target for Strasbourg, whose scouts were highly impressed by his tactical versatility and physical strength.
A deal for a fee of around €8 million for the striker’s 50% economic rights seemed to be close to being agreed upon between the two club.s
However, the negotiations with the French club collapsed, possibly due to disagreements over the structural terms of the deal, potentially regarding Real Madrid’s insistence on a fixed buy-back clause.
Following the breakdown, Elche moved quickly to open their own dialogue with the player’s representatives and the Real Madrid executive board.
Elche’s sporting department views the young forward as an ideal addition to their frontline to help drive their campaign in the Spanish top flight.
Ortega, for his part, is open to the move, as he prefers to remain in Spain to continue his professional development.
A highly productive campaign
The serious transfer interest in Ortega follows a highly successful individual season across different levels of Real Madrid’s youth academy, La Fabrica.
The forward proved his clinical finishing ability by scoring a combined total of 18 goals last season across Real Madrid Castilla, Real Madrid C, and the Juvenil A team, where he featured prominently in the UEFA Youth League.
His strong performances at the youth level previously earned him a call-up from senior head coach Jose Mourinho to participate in first-team pre-season training sessions this summer.
While Ortega enjoyed training alongside world-class stars, Real Madrid believe a competitive loan or permanent transfer with a buy-back option is the best step to guarantee him the regular playing minutes he needs.
After all, Kylian Mbappe, Endrick, and new signing Carlos Espi remain ahead of him in the pecking order.
Negotiations between Elche and Real Madrid are expected to continue this week to settle the final financial details.
After three successive wins to start the season, a 1-0 loss to Real Betis came as a reality check for Real Madrid, who are still some way off matching the quality and consistency of Barcelona.
In light of the defeat, the Real Madrid coaching staff is analysing the best way to get the most out of the current setup.
More expected from Valverde
According to Defensa Central, one of the key conclusions drawn from the Betis defeat is that Real Madrid need greater involvement from Federico Valverde with the ball.
The Uruguayan has been deployed as the pivot, largely due to the absence of the injured Aurelien Tchouameni, but he is yet to make the step up in quality the team requires from that role.
While his effort and commitment are never in doubt, Mourinho and his staff, led by Sami Khedira, feel Valverde spends too much time positioned behind the opposition’s midfield line.
As a result, he fails to offer passing lanes to his teammates when they are under pressure, forcing them into hurried, aimless clearances rather than playing out cleanly from the back.
That concern has already been communicated to Valverde, who is still adapting to a position he has never truly played, making the challenge all the more difficult for him.
A collective issue to fix
However, the problem is not Valverde’s alone, with the coaching staff identifying a wider issue in the team’s structure.
Khedira has reportedly noted a certain passivity from the attackers in the videos of the match, particularly Vinicius Jr and Kylian Mbappe, when it comes to offering themselves as the ball transitions from midfield into attacking areas.
That lack of movement compounds the difficulties for the deeper midfielders.
Mourinho, for his part, remains unfazed by the departure of Rodri to Barcelona, insisting his squad has the tools to cope.
“I’m not missing Rodri. We have solutions, we have quality,” the Portuguese said, before adding that he backs his ability to improve players.
With a Champions League opener against Inter Milan on the horizon, Mourinho and his staff will be keen to iron out these issues quickly.
