Real Madrid have reportedly agreed a deal to sign former Barcelona prospect Iker Bravo from German club Bayer Leverkusen.
According to reputed Spanish journalist Gerard Romero, Real Madrid have sealed the signing of 17-year-old Spanish striker Iker Bravo from German giants Bayer Leverkusen. The former Barcelona youth prospect is expected to join up with Raul Gonzalez’s Castilla outfit once the move is made official.
Bravo spent his formative years at Barcelona’s fabled La Masia youth academy and rose to the Under-16 level before signing for Bayer Leverkusen in the summer transfer window of last year. Having moved to Germany, the teenage striker continued to show his potential for Die Werkself’s youth teams.
After scoring three goals in three matches for the Under-17 side, Bravo was bumped up to the Under-19 setup, where he showcased his talents again, as he netted seven goals and set up three more in 14 matches.
The teenage Spanish prodigy was handed his first-team debut by Gerardo Seoane in October last year in a DFB-Pokal clash against Karlsruher SC. Following that, Bravo featured in a Bundesliga game against Hertha BSC in November 2021 but has not played a single game for the first team since.
If Iker Bravo eventually chooses Real Madrid, it would be extremely weird for Barça fans.
Just a reminder he’s one of the best strikers to come out from La Masia in recent years, and many fans still miss him.
Seeing him wearing Blancos will surely be heartbreaking for people. pic.twitter.com/vnXBjuW3Qi
— R.D. Football Scout (@RdScouting) August 10, 2022
Bravo’s goalscoring capabilities at such a young age caught the eye of Real Madrid, who have been pushing hard to sign the 17-year-old for a while now. However, they encountered serious competition from neighbours and bitter rivals Atletico Madrid, who were also intent on capturing the services of the teenage sensation.
Ultimately, though, it looks Real Madrid have prevailed in the race for the former Barcelona prodigy, having now struck an agreement to sign Bravo from Bayer Leverkusen. As mentioned earlier, the 17-year-old will likely be a part of Raul Gonzalez’s Real Madrid Castilla outfit, who are in need of attacking reinforcements after seeing the likes of Andri Gudjohnsen and Jaume Jardi leave the club.
On top of that, Juanmi Latasa is also being linked with an exit and his departure would leave a gaping hole at the top for Castilla. So, even though Real Madrid have already roped in Noel Lopez and Alvaro Leiva to offset those exits, Bravo’s signing will add further firepower to the team as they aim to earn promotion to La Liga 2.
Furthermore, given the dearth of backup options for Karim Benzema in the senior team, Bravo could soon find himself playing under Carlo Ancelotti if he continues to develop at the current rate.
