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Beating Barcelona and the Saudi offers: Real Madrid seals a golden deal

Until 2030: Real Madrid's allure settled the fierce battle

Real Madrid have settled on one of the most prominent rising talents in Spanish football, striking a decisive agreement to sign him after a fierce race with both Barcelona and Villarreal.

The player in question is 19-year-old Sergio Martinez, who caught the eye of Spain's major clubs after breaking into Racing Santander's first team last season, when the club were still in the Second Division.

Handed the chance to leave last winter, the youngster chose to stay until the end of the season. Racing went up to La Liga.

Martinez has shone since promotion, scoring in the 2-2 draw with Villarreal on the opening weekend of La Liga.

Real Madrid's allure settles the decision
Real Madrid have agreed a deal to sign Racing Santander midfielder Sergio Martínez Montero on a contract running until 2030, according to Spanish newspaper "AS" today, Saturday.
Martínez will initially join Real Madrid Castilla, the paper reports, with the possibility of taking part in first-team training. The move hands him a chance to develop under the eyes of the club's coaching staff, led by José Mourinho.
He had begun featuring for Racing's first team in the latter part of last season, playing 10 matches in the Spanish second division.
According to the newspaper, the lure of Real Madrid and the prospect of breaking into the first team proved decisive in the midfielder's decision.

Barcelona, Atlético and Villarreal: attempts to block the deal
Marca revealed that in recent days, Racing and the player fielded a string of calls from clubs hoping to change his destination. Barcelona, Atletico Madrid and Villarreal were among them, along with sides from the English Premier League, the German Bundesliga and the Saudi League.
None of it shifted Martinez. He held firm on his decision to wear the Real Madrid shirt, turning his back on every other offer on the table.
Crucially, Real Madrid chose not to trigger the 3 million euro release clause in the player's contract. They pushed instead for an agreement with Racing, wary of stirring up tension in negotiations and keen to protect the relationship for the future.
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Translated by

Real Madrid's allure settles the decision

Barcelona, Atlético and Villarreal: attempts to block the deal

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