Real Madrid to put contract talks with defender on hold until the end of the season | OneFootball

Real Madrid have finally given meaningful minutes to an academy product this season, with centre-back Raul Asencio threatening to be the first La Fabrica product to break into the first team since Lucas Vazquez or Dani Carvajal. Los Blancos intend to hand him a new contract.

Initial contacts have already been made with his agents, say Relevo, but no new deal is expected soon. The talks will continue from 2025 onwards, and are only likely to be concluded towards the end of this season, which is standard practice for their academy talents. Real Madrid are delighted with his progress though, and in particular, President Florentino Perez likes what he has seen.

He will not be part of the Castilla squad next season, that much is certain. Asencio could earn himself in the senior squad next season, or he could be sold, with a sell-on fee percentage included, a la Rafa Marin, Nico Paz or Sergio Arribas recently. Asencio is not in a hurry for a new deal either, and regardless of interest that arrives, will give Los Blancos priority. His current deal expires in 2026.

Recent history would suggest that Real Madrid are looking at a healthy profit for Asencio rather than a long-term future in the first team. It will not help him that Carlo Ancelotti tends to favour more experienced options rather than younger players. Equally, Real Madrid have a declining number of players that have come through their academy, and Spanish academies, and they are conscious they need a minimum for European competition squads.