Real Madrid may have made as many as six signings for the first team this season, but they are also focused on bringing in players for the future.
Los Blancos already have talented youngsters like Thiago Pitarch on the fringes of the first team, and it looks like they are keen to add Sergio Martinez to that group.
Madrid have been linked with a move for the Racing Santander teenager for quite some time now, and it looks like negotiations are progressing smoothly.
Now, according to AS, the Spanish giants are set to win the race for the 19-year-old, with the player accepting a move to Valdebebas.
Sergio Martinez chooses Real MadridThe talented Spaniard had interest from Barcelona, Atletico Madrid and Villarreal but chose to give priority to a move to Los Blancos.
Martinez is expected to join the club and be registered as a Castilla player while staying close to the first-team set-up and training under Jose Mourinho.
The decision is said to be effectively made, with only the final contract details remaining before the move can be completed.
Sergio Martinez has decided to join Real Madrid. (Photo by Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty Images)
Martinez is now expected to say goodbye to Racing fans after their second La Liga match against Getafe.
It is a very brave decision by the 19-year-old to choose Madrid at a point when he has broken into senior football at Racing.
Mourinho pathway proved decisiveSergio Martinez scored on his La Liga debut for the newly promoted Spanish club but is now willing to drop into Primera Federacion with Castilla.
The report outlines that the possibility of eventually reaching Mourinho’s first team played a major role in Martinez’s decision.
The operation is not simply a reaction to Martinez’s recent breakthrough.
Madrid have been following the teenager for more than a season and already view him as a player with the potential to become a star in the future.
His sudden emergence in La Liga has only accelerated the process.
Madrid prefer club-to-club agreement over release clause routeBarcelona were also interested in Sergio Martinez. (Photo by Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty Images)
Martinez has a release clause worth around €3 million, but Real Madrid want to avoid simply activating it.
Instead, the club are seeking an agreement with Racing in order to complete the operation without unnecessary tension.
The club are prepared to move early, before the entire world starts taking notice of him, and want to bring him onto their books sooner rather than later.
The smart thing, however, might be to sign Martinez but loan him back to Racing for the rest of the season.
The chance to play in La Liga is only going to accelerate his development and could be much more beneficial than spending another season in Castilla.
Los Blancos have an important decision to make on the teenager’s development once they sign him, and it remains to be seen what they decide.
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