Delight for Mourinho as Real Madrid crush Arsenal in race to sign Spanish midfield boss

Real Madrid held off strong competition from the Premier League to secure the signing of Racing Santander starlet Sergio Martinez, with TEAMtalk able to reveal the extent of English interest in the teenage midfielder.

Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea owners BlueCo and Manchester City’s parent company City Football Group all showed interest in the Spanish youth international, with the clubs exploring the possibility of taking the highly-rated holding midfielder to England.

However, Real Madrid remained Martinez’s preferred destination and moved decisively before the transfer deadline, agreeing to pay his €3million (£2.6m / $3.5m) release clause to ensure they secured his signature ahead of their Premier League rivals.

Martinez has now joined Real Madrid Castilla, but his rapid integration into the club’s first-team environment shows the faith already being placed in him.

Jose Mourinho has since included the teenager in first-team duties, and he was named on the bench for the clash with Real Betis at the weekend.

We understand the Premier League interest was significant, with Arsenal and Spurs both monitoring Martinez while BlueCo and City Football Group also made moves to assess the possibility of a deal.

Ultimately, though, Madrid’s ability to satisfy the release clause and the player’s desire to join the Spanish giants saw them win the race.

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Real Madrid beat Premier League clubs to Spanish starlet

The 16-year-old’s move represents another statement of intent from Madrid in securing some of the best emerging talent.

Martinez’s presence around the first team so soon after arriving from Racing also suggests they see a clear pathway for him to develop into a senior player.

For the English clubs involved, Martinez’s decision means they have missed out on a player they had identified as one of Spain’s promising young midfielders, with Real Madrid moving early enough to prevent any late competition from changing the outcome.

Standing at 6ft 2in, Martinez is an imposing and versatile midfielder who can play in multiple positions in the middle of the park.

He has the physical profile to contribute defensively while having the technical abilities to string together attacks and make things happen further forward.

Martinez has already made three appearances for Spain’s under-21s side and is considered one of the most exciting youngsters in his position.

Madrid have tied the teenager down to a long-term contract until 2030, so they will be in a strong negotiating position should any club show interest in him in the coming years.

But for now, Martinez is fully focused on succeeding for Madrid, and Mourinho may well hand him his first team debut in the near future.

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