Real Madrid beat Barcelona to Enrique Herrero capture

Real Madrid have reportedly clinched the signing of Enrique Herrero, who was also on the radar of Barcelona, from Eintracht Frankfurt.

According to MARCA, Real Madrid have agreed a deal to sign promising teenage prospect Enrique Herrero from Eintracht Frankfurt. The 17-year-old was also a transfer target for arch-rivals Barcelona.

Herrero is widely regarded as one of the finest young prospects in Spanish football. The teenager burst onto the scene during the 2017 La Liga Promises competition, where he was named the Player of the tournament. He joined the Villarreal academy in 2020 and spent a year there. With his contract expiring in the summer, Herrero moved to Eintracht Frankfurt amidst interest from Real Madrid and Barcelona. 

Herrero’s move to Eintracht Frankfurt did not pan out as expected. He never really broke into the senior setup, remaining on the fringes for the majority of the season. But the Spanish Under-17 international had made enough of an impact during his youth career in his homeland for clubs like Barcelona and Real Madrid to retain their interest in him.

Real Madrid have been focusing on bolstering their youth ranks over the past eighteen months, with Florentino Perez keen on securing budding talents and developing them into superstars within the club. This outlook has seen Los Blancos sign several promising youngsters during the summer of last year while they continue to scour the market for prospects with potential.

✅OFFICIAL: Enrique Herrero announces on his Instagram that he’s joining Real Madrid.

"Happy to be part of this great club @realmadrid." pic.twitter.com/oxL9QGPbEQ

— Real Madrid Fabrica (@FabricaMadrid) March 4, 2022

Barcelona, too, have turned their attention towards strengthening the ranks at La Masia and the B team after having seen the likes of Ansu Fati, Pedri, Gavi, Nico Gonzalez, and Ez Abde make an impact at the first-team level. The Catalans recently secured the signing of Spanish prodigy Pablo Torre, beating Real Madrid to his signing.

However, Los Blancos have gotten one over their arch-rivals in pursuit of Herrero. According to the report, Real Madrid reached an agreement with Frankfurt to sign the 17-year-old forward earlier this week. Despite the interest from Barcelona, the teenager was always certain of wanting to play for the Spanish capital club.

With the move completed, Herrero will be able to train at Madrid’s Valdebebas facility, but cannot represent the club at any level until next season.