Real Madrid have a number of exciting prospects coming through the ranks at the club, waiting for their first-team breakthrough.
One such player happens to be young attacking midfielder Cesar Palacios who has broken into the senior setup this season and is pushing for greater involvement at this level.
After all, the 21-year-old has scored 14 and assisted five goals for Castilla this season and has made five senior appearances under Alvaro Arbeloa.
Athletic Club eye Palacios
Now, according to El Correo, Athletic Club have Cesar Palacios on their radar for the upcoming summer transfer window.
Athletic’s interest in Palacios is not new. Back in 2020, when he was still playing for Numancia, the Basque club attempted to sign him, along with the likes of Real Betis and Barcelona.
However, Real Madrid intervened at the last moment, and the player chose to move to Valdebebas.
Again in 2022, Athletic’s then-sporting director Mikel Gonzalez travelled to Valdebebas to closely monitor his development when he was still playing for the Juvenil A side. A couple of years later, the club made enquiries with Real Madrid regarding his situation.
Cesar Palacios is on Athletic Club’s radar. (Photo by Florencia Tan Jun/Getty Images)
Now, Athletic have revived their interest in Palacios once again and are hoping to sign him, even though there is some debate about whether the 21-year-old starlet fits the club’s philosophy of signing only Basque players.
Real Madrid’s conditions
Real Madrid, for their part, could be open to Palacios’ departure, but will likely impose conditions on the transfer, like they do with most of the young academy talents being sold.
Indeed, the Merengues would likely push to retain 50% of the player’s economic rights while also having buyback clauses as well as first refusal options – as they have done with numerous youngsters such as Nico Paz, Victor Munoz, and Jacobo Ramon among others.
This could also be an issue for Athletic as they would not wish to give up control of the player’s future if they do end up signing him.
As per the report, Athletic are not alone in their interest. Several other clubs from Spain’s top division, as well as teams from Italy, Germany and Portugal, are monitoring the young talent.
Palacios himself believes he is ready to take on a significant role at top-flight level and understands that the best step for his future could be to leave Real Madrid in search of a club where he can gain regular playing time and begin to establish his professional career.
