Real Madrid and Barcelona battle for top Deportivo La Coruna youth talents – report | OneFootball

It is time for a rebuild at Real Madrid after yet another disappointing season, and the club are wasting no time in laying the foundations for the future.

While much of the focus has been on first-team signings under incoming manager Jose Mourinho, Real Madrid are also moving decisively in the youth market, targeting some of the brightest young talents in Spanish football.

Real Madrid sign Deportivo’s top U16 prospect

Mourinho’s arrival will coincide with a major rebuild at Real Madrid. (Photo by Alex Broadway/Getty Images)

According to Diario AS, Real Madrid have already secured the signing of Raul Lema, a winger born in 2010 and one of the most exciting products of Deportivo La Coruna’s famed Abegondo academy.

A Spanish Under-16 international, Lema has already featured for Deportivo’s Division de Honor Juvenil side despite his age.

Deportivo tried persistently to retain him, but ultimately could not prevent the move, with the player and his family choosing to relocate to Madrid to join the Bernabeu youth setup. He follows in the footsteps of Thiago Montes, who made the same journey last season.

Barcelona beat Real Madrid to second Depor talent

Barcelona have beaten Real Madrid in Gael Seijo pursuit. (Photo by Aitor Alcalde/Getty Images)

Real Madrid’s pursuit of another Abegondo gem, however, has not gone their way.

Gael Seijo, a physically imposing centre-back and defensive midfielder born in 2011 and also a Spanish youth international, attracted interest from Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid and Barcelona.

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, it will be Barcelona who win the race for the player from Lugo, with the decision influenced by his immediate family.

This marks yet another concerning trend for Deportivo’s academy, which continues to produce exceptional talents thanks to significant investment in thier facilities.

However, relentless raids from Spain’s biggest clubs have led to a mass exodus of sorts in recent years.