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.