Sergio Martínez Montero, a midfielder at Racing Santander, is set to become a new Real Madrid player through 2030. The 19-year-old has attracted attention from some of Spain’s biggest clubs since making his debut last season, when Racing were still in the second division. He even had the opportunity to leave during the January transfer window, but chose to stay for a season that ultimately ended with Racing securing the long-awaited promotion to LaLiga.
Now, everything points to Martínez joining Real Madrid. He is expected to begin with Castilla, the club’s reserve team, while also having opportunities to train with the first team, as we reported last week.
The pull of Real Madrid
The hardest part of the decision was giving up the chance to continue playing in LaLiga, just two weeks after making his debut and becoming one of the team’s protagonists by scoring a beautiful goal.
The pull of Real Madrid and the very real possibility of eventually making the first team proved decisive in convincing the midfielder to take the step down to Primera Federación. Martínez had already broken into Racing’s first team toward the end of last season, making 10 appearances in the Liga Hypermotion.
Over the past few days, both Racing and the player have received a flood of calls from clubs trying to convince him to change course. Barcelona, Villarreal and Atlético Madrid, along with clubs from the Premier League, Bundesliga and Saudi Pro League, all saw their attempts come to nothing as the midfielder remained determined to wear Real Madrid’s white shirt. It was Martínez himself who rejected the idea of turning down Real Madrid’s offer.
As in previous deals, Real Madrid has opted not to simply trigger the player’s €3 million ($3.48 million) release clause. Instead, the club has sought an agreement with Racing Santander to avoid tensions surrounding a negotiation that officials at Valdebebas had been analyzing for some time.
Real Madrid on alert for over a year
The Spanish youth international is not a recent discovery for Real Madrid. The club has been monitoring him for more than a season, and although his emergence in LaLiga accelerated the process, the interest dates back much further.
At Real Madrid, they see the teenage midfielder as a talent to develop and, for now, a strategic addition to Castilla.
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