Real Madrid's board continue to turn their academy "La Fabrica" into a machine that never stops producing money, in an economic model that impresses Europe and provides a major boost to Los Blancos' coffers.
The latest example is unprecedented. The Spanish giants have sold young forward Jacobo Ortega to French club Strasbourg for 10 million euros, despite the fact that he has not worn the first team shirt for a single minute.
Spanish radio station "Cadena SER" report that the Ortega deal is now the most expensive in Real Madrid's history for a young player who leaves without having featured for the first team. It confirms the success of the club's strategy in maximising the profits of its academy, even from its reserve sides.
The French club, owned by the BlueCo group that also owns Chelsea, opened with an offer of 8 million euros for 50% of the player's rights. Real Madrid pushed the value up to 10 million euros for 70% of his rights, while keeping clauses that give them control over the player's future.
Registered with Real Madrid C, Ortega shone in the second half of the season. He scored 18 goals and stood out remarkably in the youth league, which made him the target of many La Liga clubs, chief among them Elche, who made a great effort to sign him. Strasbourg's ambitious project, after narrowly failing to qualify for Europe last season, proved more tempting for the player.
With this deal, the total profits of Real Madrid's youth academy jump to nearly 199 million euros over a short period. The staggering tally includes Nico Paz (60 million), Gonzalo Garcia (40 million), Victor Munoz (20.5 million), Mario Gila (15 million), Alvaro Rodriguez (12.5 million), Alex Jimenez (12.5 million), Palacios, Valdepenas, Mario Martin and others. Throughout, the club retain preferential purchase options and buy-back clauses that guarantee they benefit from any future explosion of their talents.