MADRID: Real Madrid extended their new policy of snapping up promising home-grown talent by paying 39 million euros ($50.9 million) to buy Spain Under-21 midfielder Asier Illarramendi out of his contract with La Liga rivals Real Sociedad on Friday.
Big-spending Real president Florentino Perez is known for luring “galacticos” like David Beckham, Zinedine Zidane and Cristiano Ronaldo to the Bernabeu but Illarramendi’s capture follows hard on the heels of the purchase of playmaker Isco from Malaga and the return of fullback Daniel Carvajal from Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen.
The trio were in the Spain squad that won the Under-21 Euro championships in Israel last month and Isco and Illarramendi were both named in UEFA’s team of the tournament.
Real sealed the deal for Illarramendi when they deposited the 23-year-old’s buyout fee of 32.19 million euros plus value-added tax (VAT) of 6.76 million with Spain’s professional league (LFP), Sociedad president Jokin Aperribay, flanked by the player, told a news conference.
The Basque club, who qualified for the Champions League playoffs last season, did not want Illarramendi to leave but Real’s move automatically triggered his exit, he added.
“We would have preferred to hold on to Asier Illarramendi than get the money but life goes on,” he said. Illarramendi is seen as a long-term replacement for Spain midfielder Xabi Alonso, another former Sociedad player who will be 32 in November. (Agencies)