Manchester United and Chelsea among clubs interested in signing Real Madrid youngster - Reports
Manchester United and Chelsea are reportedly looking to sign young Real Madrid defender Joan Martinez. The 19-year--old is yet to make his senior Los Blancos first-team debut.
Martinez has made five appearances - all in the UEFA Europa League - for the club's U19 side and is contracted with them till 2026. However, his future could lie away from the Santiago Bernabeu.
That's because as per Marca (via Madrid Xtra), United, Blues and a few unnamed Premier League clubs are interested in the teenaged Los Blancos defender.
Considering his relative inexperience, Martinez is not expected to immediately feature in the first team wherever he moves to if he decides to leave Los Blancos this summer. He's likely to gain more experience with the youth side or loaned away before making his senior debut.
It's pertinent to note that the aforementioned clubs, especially the Blues, have targeted young players lately. Enzo Maresca's side spent a fortune last summer in a massive overhaul as experienced campaigners made way for youngsters.
However, both United and the Blues finished outside the top-five last season, something they would like to improve in the upcoming campaign.
What's next for Manchester United, Chelsea and Real Madrid?
All three of Manchester United, Chelsea and Real Madrid are on pre-season tours of the US. The Red Devils opened their US tour with a 2-1 loss to Arsenal at the SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles.
However, Manchester United bounced back to beat La Liga side Real Betis 3-2 at the Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego. They next take on domestic rivals Liverpool on Saturday (August 3) at the William-Brice Stadium in South Carolina to wind up their pre-season.
Meanwhile, Chelsea started their tour with a 2-2 draw with Wrexham at the Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara before losing 4-1 to Celtic at the Nortre Dame Stadium in Indiana.
Enzo Maresca's side then beat Club America 3-0 at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta and next take on Manchester City at the Ohio Stadium in Columbus on Saturday.
Coming to Real Madrid, they opened their pre-season with a 1-0 loss to AC Milan at the Solder Field in Chicago. Los Blancos next take on arch-rivals Barcelona on Saturday at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.