Real Madrid trusts in the talent of La Fábrica, but playing for the first team is a big step up. That’s why it’s sticking to the policy it has been applying for years, which is to sell its talent but retain an option to buy, as it did years ago with Dani Carvajal at Leverkusen, as it is doing now with Nico Paz, who is enjoying success at Como, and as it has just done with Mario Martin. The next on the list could be Gonzalo.
Mario Martin leaves for Getafe
Mario Martin will begin his professional career in elite football at Getafe. The 21-year-old youth player, after starring for Castilla last season, is making the move to the first division, and he is doing so at one of the clubs that draws most heavily on the Real Madrid youth academy, Getafe, an ideal destination for these players, who will not have to leave the capital to start their professional careers.
Mario Martin is another example of Real Madrid’s policy of safeguarding the option of bringing back players from its youth academy. Mario is now a Getafe player, but Real Madrid has retained an option to buy him back in the coming years, as it is confident that the midfielder can take the next step in his career.
A model established at Real Madrid
Real Madrid has been exploiting this transfer formula with an option to buy for years. One of the first was Dani Carvajal, and the result could not have been better for the club. He left for Bayer Leverkusen and was the best full-back in the Bundesliga in just one season, which secured his return to the Santiago Bernabéu, where he has become one of the best right-backs in the history of the club and of soccer.
Other players have left the club on the same terms in recent years, the latest being Nico Paz. The Tenerife-born player, who plays for Argentina, left last season to join Como, coached by Cesc, and his performance has been outstanding, making him one of the leading players not only in his team but also in Italian football. At Real Madrid, there are many players who occupy his position, which is why he has not returned, but the buy-back option has allowed him to stay at the Italian club for another year, and next year, we will see.
Gonzalo could follow in his footsteps
This is one of the big questions for Real Madrid for next season. Gonzalo has earned the right to continue with a flawless Club World Cup, but there are more important needs. His registration in the first team would mean filling the 25 spots available for La Liga, and the club wants to keep that option open in case someone leaves the squad. If not, Gonzalo could follow in the footsteps of Carvajal, Nico Paz, and now Mario Martín, leaving Real Madrid on loan with a buyback option.
Real Madrid knows that Gonzalo’s continuity would almost certainly slow down the development of Endrick, who still enjoys a lot of confidence and is expected to explode this year under Xabi Alonso. Although the Tolosa-born coach has already shown that he counts on him, he is the first to be aware of the club’s needs.
Mario Martín is leaving Real Madrid after training at La Fábrica to play for Getafe. Real Madrid will closely monitor his progress and will exercise the buy-back option if he proves he has the quality to be an important player in the first division.