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Real Madrid News UEFA rules prevented Real Madrid from loaning exciting summer signing to Racing – report Real Madrid have completed an unexpected late addition to their squad by signing 19-year-old Sergio Martinez from Racing Santander, but the move was not originally intended to take the midfielder away from his boyhood club this summer. Notably, Martinez will be registered with Real Madrid Castilla and could train with Jose Mourinho’s first team, despite having already established himself with Racing’s senior side. The timing of the deal raised questions, particularly after Racing’s return to the top flight and Martinez’s impressive start to the new La Liga campaign. According to journalist Alberto Pereiro, as relayed by Defensa Central, the explanation lies in a rule governing player transfers and subsequent loans, “There has been a rule at UEFA and FIFA level, in place for at least four seasons, which prevents a club from signing a player and then loaning him out during the same transfer window,” Pereiro explained. Real Madrid wanted Martinez to stay at Racing Real Madrid had been tracking Martinez for some time and wanted to secure his future while allowing him to continue developing in Santander. Pereiro explained that the club attempted to find an agreement that would have allowed Martinez to remain at Racing until 2028. Those negotiations did not produce a solution, leaving Madrid with a difficult choice if they wanted to secure the midfielder. “It was identified as a sort of business practice at the end of the season by teams, bringing back academy graduates who had performed exceptionally well elsewhere or players with a negotiable or even mandatory buy-back clause. “These situations occurred in various leagues, but it is now prohibited,” Pereiro added. Real Madrid therefore activated Martinez’s €3 million release clause, bringing him to Valdebebas rather than leaving him in Santander. A complicated situation for the teenager As stated before, Martinez had just helped Racing return to the Spanish top flight after 14 years away. He also scored on his La Liga debut against Villarreal, which further strengthened the case for Racing to keep him involved. However, Pereiro believes the change could have sporting consequences for the midfielder. “Madrid tried every possible means to reach an agreement with Racing to sign him in 2028 and keep him there, but it didn’t work out, and now we’ll have to see how a player who is regarded as an all-round midfielder fits in. “And that position is occupied by the Valverdes, Bernardo Silva, Arda Güler. “What’s more, Thiago Pitarch is yet to return. Martinez stands to lose a great deal in competitive terms,” he concluded. Real Madrid News Real Madrid pushing hard to sign 20-year-old winger after Atletico Madrid exit Real Madrid are closing in on another signing from Atletico Madrid’s youth system, with 20-year-old winger Jorge Rajado emerging as the latest player poised to make the move across the Spanish capital. According to AS, Real Madrid are pushing strongly to secure Rajado after the youngster ended his decade-long association with Atletico. The winger is now free to pursue the next stage of his career, with Real Madrid looking to take advantage of the situation. Rajado has been regarded as one of the more promising players within Atletico’s academy. His powerful shooting ability has helped him stand out, although his development has been interrupted by a series of injuries. Real Madrid step up pursuit of Rajado Rajado spent 10 years within Atletico’s youth structure before bringing that spell to an end. Last season, he featured 16 times for Atletico C and scored four goals. Those numbers only tell part of the story, with injuries having restricted his progression during a period when he was attempting to establish himself at senior level. Real Madrid now see an opportunity to bring the winger into their own development system. The move would place Rajado in La Fabrica, where he would continue his progression after leaving Atletico. Another chapter in the academy rivalry Rajado’s potential move is quite significant because of the increasingly common movement of young players between Madrid’s two biggest clubs. The relationship between the academies changed considerably after Jesus Fortea brought an agreement between the clubs to an end in 2022. Since then, Real Madrid have been particularly active in recruiting players from Atletico’s youth setup. That has made switches from the Academia to La Fabrica far less unusual than they once were. Real Madrid have been the club to take the most players from Atletico’s academy since the previous arrangement ended, although the traffic has not been entirely one-way. Atletico have also strengthened their youth ranks with players coming from their city rivals.