Real Madrid have given themselves some insurance on one of their brightest academy talents Cesar Palacios, by extending his contract from 2024 to 2027.
Palacios, an 18-year-old midfielder currently with the under-19 side coached by Alvaro Arbeloa, has been impressive of late, standing out as one of the brightest talents at ‘La Fabrica’. This season he has scored five goals and given two assists on the biggest youth stage available, the UEFA Youth League.
As per Marca, there were a number of sides interested in Palacios, hence the large release clause allows Los Blancos room for manoeuvre. They believe that Palacios is highly likely to make it in La Liga and may even have the potential to push through into the first team, although midfield competition is set to be intense over the coming years.
With Real Madrid’s academy, there is always a question over how much of an opportunity those players will get in the first team. Los Blancos have tended to use their academy as much as a method of generating capital as developing players for their own squad. The likes of Victor Chust and Antonio Blanco fell into that category and have been forced to seek their future elsewhere.