Jacobo Ortega is closing on a €10 million move to Strasbourg, with ESPN transfer reporter Rodra indicating the deal is now near completion, as Bernabéu Digital reports. The switch would make the 20-year-old striker the most expensive sale in Real Madrid’s history for an academy player who never made a first-team appearance.
How the Jacobo Ortega deal came back to life
It caps a day of remarkable twists. Earlier on Thursday the same reporter indicated Strasbourg had cooled on the move, and LaLiga side Elche quickly opened talks, according to ABC journalist Ángel García. By the evening the French club were back in front — and the competition appears to have worked in Real Madrid’s favour, with Strasbourg’s opening €8 million proposal rising to around €10 million, per Bernabéu Digital. Madrid Universal notes the club are expected to retain roughly 30 per cent of Ortega’s rights, mirroring the formula used in their other academy sales.
The forward has earned his move the hard way, scoring 18 goals last season across Castilla, Real Madrid C and the treble-winning Juvenil A — form that saw José Mourinho invite him into first-team pre-season training this summer. His sale would add to a cantera windfall that has already helped bankroll Real Madrid’s record €200m summer of spending.
What happens next
Nothing is signed yet, and this saga has already turned twice in a single day. But with the window open until 31 August and Strasbourg hunting a striker after losing Emmanuel Emegha to Chelsea, Ortega’s record-breaking exit finally looks close.
