La Liga heavyweights Atletico Madrid have reportedly raised their offer for 17-year-old Bayer Leverkusen prodigy Iker Bravo, a target for Real Madrid.
According to a report by Spanish publication MARCA, Atletico Madrid will leave no stone unturned in the race to sign Iker Bravo from Bayer Leverkusen in the ongoing transfer window. The Spanish prodigy is also a target for Los Rojiblancos’ local rival, Real Madrid.
Iker Bravo spent most of his formative years with Barcelona, progressing through the ranks rapidly at the club’s famed La Masia academy. But the 17-year-old chose to end his footballing education at Bayer Leverkusen, hoping to secure a quicker pathway to action at the first-team level.
The Spanish wonderkid seems to have made the correct decision as he earned his first-team debut for Bayer Leverkusen after joining the German club last summer. In doing so, Bravo briefly became the youngest ever debutant for Die Werkself at 16 years and 298 days. And he has invariably captured the attention of several European bigwigs, with Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid among his prospective suitors.
The interest from Real Madrid is hardly surprising, considering they have the penchant for poaching some of the most promising young prospects across the world year after year. Such an outlook means the Merengues have enough prodigious players at the first-team level every season. Vinicius Junior, Rodrygo Goes, and Federico Valverde are some shining examples.
As for the interest in Bravo, Real Madrid will need to lay down a succession plan for Karim Benzema, even though the French international continues to go from strength to strength every year. But with Benzema well into his thirties, Bravo is of the right age profile to succeed the Real Madrid talisman. But Los Blancos will have to fend off stiff competition from Atletico Madrid to sign the 17-year-old.
Recent reports have also claimed that Bravo has agreed to join Atletico Madrid, leaving Los Rojiblancos as the front-runners to land the Bayer Leverkusen whizkid. Like Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid will need a long-term solution in the final third following Luis Suarez’s departure, with Bravo a viable target. And according to MARCA, the Colchoneros have raised their offer for Bravo.
It will be interesting to see how Real Madrid will respond to the raised offer by Atletico Madrid as the race to sign 17-year-old Spanish prodigy Iker Bravo from Bayer Leverkusen continues to heat up.
