Real Madrid’s academy youngster is reportedly ready to take the next step and break into the senior team.
Real Madrid’s veteran defender Nacho Fernandez is widely regarded as one of the most talented home-grown players to have ever emerged from the club’s academy. Having celebrated his 33rd birthday last month, the experienced centre-back has found an improved role under the guidance of Carlo Ancelotti in recent weeks after a challenging start to the season.
Despite his growing importance to the team, Nacho’s future at the Bernabeu remains shrouded in uncertainty. While the club has proposed extending his contract by a further season, the player himself is said to be hesitant to commit to such a deal. As a result, there is mounting speculation that the defender may leave the club at the end of his current contract in June.
According to reports from
, Nacho’s potential departure could pave the way for another young star from Real Madrid’s Castilla academy to make his mark on the first team.
The player in question is Rafa Marin, a highly rated 20-year-old who is still waiting to receive an offer from the club to extend his current deal, which has only eighteen months left to run. The young defender feels that he is ready to make the step up to senior level and hopes that a promotion will be included in any new contract he may sign.
Should Nacho indeed leave the Bernabeu, it could provide an ideal opportunity for Marin to demonstrate his talents and prove his worth to Ancelotti.
Already making waves in the Spanish capital, Marin has scored two goals in 22 appearances for the Castilla outfit this season and has been a standout performer in defence. Furthermore, he has already represented the U-18 Spanish national team, highlighting his potential to become a future star for both club and country.
Despite Marin’s promise, however, his situation has not gone unnoticed by other top clubs in Europe, with Chelsea reportedly showing a keen interest in securing his signature. As such, the ball is now firmly in Real Madrid’s court to decide whether to offer Marin a chance to impress at senior level, or risk losing one of their brightest prospects to a rival outfit.