Real Madrid close to signing Spanish prodigy with €3 million release clause

Real Madrid close to signing Spanish prodigy with €3 million release clause According to MARCA , Real Madrid are close to completing the signing of Racing Santander teenage midfielder Sergio Martinez. The 19-year-old prospect has a €3 million release clause in his contract at the Cantabrian club, and a move to Madrid is now understood to be close. A product of the Racing Santander academy, Martinez made his first-team breakthrough last season, making just 10 appearances in the Spanish second division. This past weekend he made his La Liga debut and was one of the biggest surprises in the starting lineup against Villarreal. And, it was a debut to remember for Martinez as the midfielder scored in his first top-flight appearance, sending a spectacular strike into the top corner. Real Madrid move in Set to join Real Madrid. (Photo by Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty Images) Whether that performance was the reason or not, Real Madrid quickly took notice of the midfielder. Having been monitoring him since January, the Spanish capital club decided to step up their pursuit and make a move to sign him. His €3 million release clause initially appeared to be an obstacle , not because of Real Madrid’s financial capacity, but because of the club’s intentions. However, everything appears to have accelerated over the past few hours, with indications that he is now close to joining the club . The initial plan is for Martinez to be registered with Real Madrid Castilla, although he could also train regularly with the first team. Martinez will be registered as a Castilla player. (Photo by Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty Images) Racing, meanwhile, are trying to keep hold of the youngster for another season on loan. Sergio Martinez’s profile Martinez is a 19-year-old midfielder born in 2007. He is primarily a central midfielder who is disciplined and known for his excellent positioning. He is more of a holding midfielder than a player focused on arriving in the final third, although his debut showed that he can make an impact when he does get forward. Martinez is comfortable on the ball and also brings plenty of work rate to his game. In his first La Liga appearance, he played 69 minutes, covered a total of 8 kilometers, and scored with his only shot on target. He also won four of eight duels, committed three fouls, made one successful tackle and recorded one recovery.