Real Madrid sign Athletico Madrid’s Theo Hernandez

Real Madrid has signed Athletico Madrid’s Theo Hernandez in a deal reported to be hovering in the region of 30 million Euros. Being cross-town rivals, there has been fierce rivalry between the two clubs on the field of play and in other spheres of engagement. It’s no surprise that Theo’s deal is the third in seventeen years between the both clubs in their long and illustrious history.

Theo signed a six-year contract with the Los Blancos that will see him stay till 2023. He will be unveiled as a player on July 10 after his medicals. As a rite of passage, his father, Jean-Francois played for Athletico while his brother Lucas plays the left fullback position currently for the Colchoneros. Theo’s contract with Athletico Madrid was to last till 2021 and he had no desire to renew it and he also turned down offers from top European teams insisting on his desire to play for Real Madrid.

The last time a player transferred directly from Athletico Madrid to Real Madrid was in the year 2000 when Argentine midfielder, Santiago Solari made a move following the relegation of Athleti from Spanish top flight football that year. With a slight adjustment in policy at Real Madrid, there will be a fundamental shift in the recruitment of talents and it will be focused on youngsters. With Theo Hernandez in their kitty, the next man on their radar will be Dani Ceballos, the Euro U-21 player in the recently concluded tournament.