Who is Konstantinos Karetsas? Meet gifted 16-year-old midfielder who is reportedly wanted by Real Madrid
As per Sport24, Real Madrid are interested in Belgian youngster Konstantinos Karestas. The 16-year-old currently plies his trade for Belgian club Jong Genk.
Born on November 19, 2007, Karestas grew up in Genk's academies before leaving the club in 2020 to join Anderlecht. He has since returned to Genk in 2023 and has so far made four appearances for Genk's senior team.
Karestas can play as an attacking midfielder as well as a central midfielder. Born to Greek parents, Karestas has decided to represent Belgium at the international level and is a part of the Red Devils' under-17 side.
As per Football Talents Scout, Karestas has very strong passing, vision, creativity, dribbling, and first touch. He is strong in shooting, pace, and has great football IQ.
However, one major drawback of Karestas' game is that he has a small frame and tends to avoid contact or duel situations. His elegance on the ball is well touted, however, the player can be defensively vulnerable and also can be exposed in aerial duels.
Real Madrid, meanwhile, have focused on bringing the best young players across the globe. They already have a gem of an attacking midfielder in the form of young Arda Guler. Karestas could further enhance Los Blancos' ranks.
Karestas is on the Madrid giants' radar, as per the aforementioned source. The player is valued at €4 million by Transfermarkt. He has a contract with Genk until 2026 and the club are looking to negotiate an extension.
It might be wise for Real Madrid to snap up Karestas before other top European clubs take notice of the player, resulting in an inflated price tag.
Real Madrid target Konstantinos Karestas has already rejected Manchester City
Konstantinos Karestas' father, Vaios has revealed that his son had offers from top European clubs like EB Leipzig, AC Milan, and even Manchester City. However, the player's camp didn't like the proposals.
Vaios claimed City invited them several times to have a closer look at the player. He said (via Sport Witness):
"RB Leipzig, Milan, and even Manchester City invited us several times to come and have a look, we didn't like it."
Vaios added that the only team that interested them were Ajax. Real Madrid's interest, though, could be too good to turn down. After all, almost every player dreams of donning the all whites as some point in their careers.