What’s the story?
Real Madrid have completed the signing of Atletico Madrid left-back Theo Hernandez on a five-year contract. The 19-year-old passed his medical at the Sanitas-La Moraleja Clinic and a fee of around €30 million is said to have been agreed between the rivals.
Barcelona and Real Madrid were both interested in signing the talented left-back and according to reports, the Catalan giants put up a similar offer on 26th April and even met with the player’s agent Manuel García Quilón in Soria. However, now the 19-year-old has decided his destination and he is tied down to the All Whites for the next five years.
Trending
In case you didn’t know...
Atletico Madrid are said to be furious with Real Madrid as Los Blancos broke a verbal pact between the two clubs to complete the signing of Theo Hernandez. The young Frenchman has had a brilliant spell on loan at Deportivo Alaves and he will definitely provide quality backup to Marcelo.
The player’s agent said recently that the 19-year-old would reveal his destination at the end of May, but the news of him signing for Real Madrid has leaked out before the player himself has had a chance to confirm it.
Also read: Milan not interested in Madrid's Morata
The heart of the matter
The arrival of Theo Hernandez to the Bernabeu all but signals the end of Fabio Coentrao’s career at Real Madrid. The Portuguese left-back has struggled with form and fitness and Florentino Perez will be hoping to sell Coentrao in the summer transfer window.
Also, according to AS, Theo will initially start off with a 3.5 million euro salary which will be progressively increased over his 5-year duration at Real Madrid. Theo Hernandez is thought off very highly by the Madrid hierarchy and it can be seen by the fact that they are willing to shell €30 million for a 19-year-old youngster.
What’s next?
Real Madrid will be hoping to get the better of Atletico Madrid in the Champions League semi-final second leg. 3-0 up in the first leg already, Los Blancos will be confident of progressing to the finals.
Also, it promises to be a summer of great change at Real Madrid and the signing of Theo Hernandez is most likely just the beginning in a number of high-profile deals expected to be completed by the Spanish giants.
Also read: Real Madrid: Salary and weekly wages of every first team star revealed
Author’s take
Real Madrid are always on the lookout for the best young talent in the world and the signing of Theo Hernandez shows that Perez and Zidane are already planning about the future of Los Blancos.
Although Madrid had to break the pact between themselves and Atletico Madrid to sign Theo, it promises to be a good investment as the 19-year-old is set to become one of the best full-backs in the world in the future.
