RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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Malaga star had rejected a move to Real Madrid in 2023 – report
Real Madrid are set to face Malaga in their third La Liga game of the season and will be hoping to make it three wins from three.
Los Blancos will come face to face with a player they once tried to sign for their academy when Malaga come to the Santiago Bernabeu.
Izan Merino, who turned down a move to the biggest club in the world, will now arrive as one of the most important players in Juanfran Funes’ side.
According to Diario AS , Madrid attempted to sign Merino in the summer of 2023, when he was just 17 and had yet to make his senior debut for Malaga.
Madrid move rejected three years ago
Izan Merino has become a key player at Malaga. (Photo by Denis Doyle/Getty Images)
At the time, Malaga had just been relegated to Primera RFEF and were trying to rebuild around their academy.
Madrid offered €250,000 for Merino, but Malaga rejected the proposal and referred interested clubs to his €3 million release clause.
The player himself also chose continuity over an immediate move to Valdebebas. That decision has proven to be significant.
Merino made his first-team debut in the Copa del Rey in December 2023 and was part of the side that later won promotion back to Segunda.
He subsequently renewed his contract, first until 2027 and then until 2028. Three years on from Madrid’s approach, he arrives at the Bernabeu as a completely different player.
Merino now central to Malaga project
Merino is set to take on Mourinho’s men this afternoon. (Photo by Denis Doyle/Getty Images)
At just 20, Merino has already made 73 senior appearances for Malaga and established himself as one of the structural pieces in Funes’ team.
His versatility has also strengthened his development. Although naturally comfortable in midfield, he featured extensively as a centre-back for Spain at the recent Under-20 World Cup in Chile.
That ability to operate in two demanding central positions helps explain why he remains highly regarded at national-team level and is already being considered around the Spain Under-21 set-up.
For Madrid, his story is an interesting reminder that not every talented teenager needs to enter La Fabrica immediately to fulfil his potential.
Merino could have accepted the move in 2023 and taken a very different development path. Instead, he stayed at home, accumulated senior minutes and helped Malaga climb from the third tier back to La Liga .
This is a path that Racing Santander youngster Sergio Martinez could have taken, but the young Spaniard has chosen the option of moving to Madrid this summer.
Now he gets his first opportunity to play at the Bernabeu against the club that once wanted him.
All eyes will be on how Merino fares and, who knows, a move to Madrid could be on the cards in the future.
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