Real Madrid have renewed the contract of Castilla star Theo Zidane, son of club legend Zinedine Zidane, amidst a significant overhaul in the academy setup.
The midfielder was set to depart on a free transfer but has now signed a new deal to stay at the club, where it is expected that he will continue with the Castilla side.
Mario Cortegana has reported in The Athletic that Zidane is set to stay, whilst Castilla’s top prospects Sergio Arribas, Carlos Dotor and Rafa Marin are to leave the youth setup in what is a major reshuffle.
Zidane has made 56 appearances for Castilla, scoring once, and helped his side reach the promotion playoff final. His extension will only be for one year, as both he and the club assess what to do in terms of his long-term future.
What is happening with Real Madrid’s academy prospects?
With the young direction the first team is headed in, Real Madrid’s best academy stars face a tough battle for regular minutes in the first team, and now look set to depart on permanent transfers.
However, Los Blancos have a strategy in place. They wish to sell their top talents within La Liga, whilst retaining 50% of their rights. This means that if they succeed elsewhere, they can be bought to return to the club at a discount, or even bought and sold on again.
An example is Fran Garcia, who was sold to Rayo Vallecano, but bought again this summer after an exceptional season, and is now set to be part of the Real Madrid first team.
Selling the best prospects now means that players like Theo Zidane may enjoy a more prominent role within Castilla, and Zidane could earn himself a good move or a new contract next summer if he has a good campaign now.