REAL MADRID

With the signing of Marco Asensio on 5 December 2014, Real Madrid started a new strategy that they seem to be taking to the extreme. They paid just 3.9 million euros for the Mallorcan talent and he was then followed by Norwegian hope Odegaard, Brazilian Lucas Silva and a list of others that bring us up to date with the likes of Ceballos, Vinicius, Rodrygo and Odriozola.

Brahim the latest promising youngster

All these young talents signed around the age of 20, and the latest in this 'plan', Manchester City's Brahim Díaz, won't reach that for almost another year. With him, Florentino Pérez will have overseen a spend of 217.2 million euros in buying up young potential over just four years. You have to go back as far as 2013 for the last 'major' signing, when Gareth Bale left Spurs for 101 million euros.

When the transfer window opens on 2 January 2019, it won't take long for the Madrid club to announce the capture of highly-rated Brahim. The Spaniard's contract was to expire at City in the summer and Florentino is choosing, again, to keep life simple by paying the required 15 million in his clause, just as he did with Ceballos when 16.5 million was handed over to Real Betis (actually slightly more than the 15 million in the contract). The Real Madrid president has shown that he is favouring this type of business, rather than getting stuck into difficult negotiations with the clubs, although is keen not to antagonise the powerful state-funded entities of the Middle East, like Manchester City of Abu Dhabi or PSG of Qatar.

Madrid over PSG

Brahim has been courted recently by PSG, but the youngster has always been clear about his desire to play for Los Blancos. He will sign on a six-year contract and is expected to take one of the spare shirts: 16 or 21, although this will depend on any other changes that take place in the squad. This season he has only played in four games for City (214 minutes) in which he has scored two goals.

Only time will tell if this youth-capture strategy works for the Real Madrid of the future.