La Liga heavyweights Real Madrid are reportedly on the verge of signing Spanish under-19 international Noel Lopez after reaching an agreement to land him.
According to a report by Spanish outlet Defensa Central, Noel Lopez will likely be Real Madrid Castilla’s first major signing of the summer transfer window. The Spanish under-19 international has given the green light to move to Madrid once his contract with Deportivo de La Coruna runs out on June 30.
Noel Lopez joined Deportivo de La Coruna a few years ago and has since come leaps and bounds at the Galician club. The 19-year-old striker has progressed considerably in the last few seasons, establishing himself as one of the best young strikers in Spain.
This season, the Spanish under-19 international has made swift progress in the first-team setup at Ciudad Deportiva de Riazor, featuring 30 times for Deportivo de La Coruna while scoring four goals. But Lopez will leave the Galician outfit as a free agent when his contract expires on June 30, with Real Madrid his next destination.
The 19-year-old is ready to sacrifice first-team football with Deportivo de La Coruna to play for Real Madrid Castilla. And the young striker will hope that turning out for the reserve side will help him secure a quick pathway to first-team action at the Santiago Bernabeu in the coming years.
With Karim Benzema well into his thirties and approaching the final phase of his glittering career, Real Madrid will need to have a concrete plan to ensure a smooth succession for his heir. While it is still early days for Lopez in his professional career, he could be Benzema’s long-term success at Real Madrid, thus justifying their interest in him.
For now, Raul Gonzalez will hope to groom the Spanish under-19 international into a world-class striker after specifically requesting Real Madrid to secure his signature. Lopez’s arrival will also help mitigate the potential departure of Juanmi Latasa, who recently emerged on the radar of Rayo Vallecano.
According to the report, Juanmi Latasa will be a part of Carlo Ancelotti’s pre-season campaign with the Real Madrid first team. And Los Blancos will subsequently decide whether he becomes Benzema’s understudy or leaves on loan in the summer transfer window. Either way, Real Madrid Castilla needed a new striker, and Lopez should be a solid addition to Raul’s squad.