Real Madrid wonderkid transfer STOPPED by a JUDGE
Tom Weber
- Updated: 28 Aug 2023 15:57 BST
- 3 min read
Real Madrid's offer for highly-rated 17-year-old Izan Merino has been stopped by the judge in charge of Malaga CF, according to Spanish media.
The infamous crisis club have been run by judicial administrator Jose Maria Munoz for several years now after the ousting of former club president Sheikh Al-Thani, who reportedly appropriated club funds for luxury cars and other non-footballing expenses.
Al-Thani bought Malaga in 2010 and the club famously signed several high-profile players under his ownership. In 2011/12 alone, they signed the likes of Santi Cazorla, Jeremy Toulalan, Nacho Monreal, Isco, Joaquin and Ruud van Nistelrooy. Eventually, however, the club fell on tough times.
READ: Man Utd make SHOCK Real Madrid transfer offer
Last season, Malaga were relegated to the Spanish third tier for the first time since 1998. Munoz took the blame for the relegation but vowed to stay on board. Shortly before their demotion, Munoz assured Malaga fans that the club's financial situation had stabilised, stating that "the accounts are immaculate."
Now, he has rejected an offer from Real Madrid for one of the club's most-prized assets.
Merino offer rejected
According to local paper Sur, Munoz has rejected a bid from Los Blancos for 17-year-old defensive prodigy Izan Merino. The figure being reported stood at a guaranteed €250,000 with the potential to rise as high as €3.5 million if certain bonuses were achieved.
Munos believes that Merino has significant potential and that he could flush even more money into Malaga's coffers if he were to stay with the club for longer.
As is customary in Spanish football, however, the youngster has a release clause that, if triggered, would allow him to depart anyway. His current clause reportedly stands at €3 million, so the decision to reject the offer is a gamble by Munoz.
It is not yet clear whether Real Madrid are prepared to go back in and pay that much upfront for Merino, who is yet to make a senior appearance for Malaga.
