Real Madrid have reportedly extended the contract of defensive prodigy Alex Jimenez, who was being followed by Chelsea, Manchester United and Bayern Munich.
According to Diario AS, Chelsea and Manchester United have been dealt a major blow in their pursuit of Real Madrid starlet Alex Jimenez as the Merengues have tied him down to a new long-term contract.
Jimenez started out at the academy of Talavera before moving to Real Madrid’s youth setup in 2011. Since then, the right-back has been making rapid strides in age-group football and is widely regarded as one of the most exciting young prospects in Spanish football. Currently, a part of the club’s Under-17 setup, the defender has also featured for the Under-19s in the UEFA Youth League this season.
Jimenez also has eight caps for the Spanish Under-17 side since making his debut in September last year. His potential has alerted several top clubs across Europe, with Chelsea, Manchester United and Bayern Munich taking an interest in the 17-year-old defensive prodigy.
Chelsea have been known for their penchant for signing the most exciting young players from across the globe and develop them by sending them out on loans before eventually selling them for a profit. However, there has been a change in that trend in recent times, with youth from the academy ranks getting a fair shot at first-team football at Stamford Bridge.
El Real Madrid ha renovado hasta 2025 a Alex Jiménez, una de las joyas de la cantera.
El contrato, según distintas cláusulas, puede renovarse automáticamente hasta 2027, pero inicialmente es de tres años de duración. pic.twitter.com/ZsUYFtE1hn
— Sergio Santos (@AS_SergioSantos) May 6, 2022
Indeed, the likes of Callum Hudson-Odoi, Mason Mount, Reece James and Trevoh Chalobah are all prime examples of the academy products making it big at Chelsea. And they wish to continue this trend by adding more talented youngsters to their ranks, with Jimenez emerging as a target.
Manchester United, too, are known for their propensity to nurture young talents at the club. Under former manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, there was a lot of focus placed on youth recruitment. That is likely to be the case under incoming boss Erik ten Hag, who has earned a reputation for developing young stars with potential at Ajax.
Having raided Real Madrid for Alvaro Fernandez a couple of years ago, Manchester United plotted to make a move for Jimenez in a similar way, while Bayern Munich were also keen on the 17-year-old.
However, Real Madrid have put an end to their hopes of landing Jimenez by tying him down to a new contract. The teenager has penned a new deal that will keep him with Los Blancos until the summer of 2025, with an option to extend it further until 2027. He will be promoted to Raul Gonzalez’s Castilla outfit next season, where he will be the best-paid youth player following his contract extension.
