There's little time left before the transfer window closes, but Saudi Arabia doesn't plan to stop. Al-Ittihad is preparing a last-minute move that will involve many millions and will leave Real Madrid without one of its targets. We're talking about a total of €75 million (82 million USD), in a completely surprising deal that's about to come to fruition.
Florentino has already said goodbye
In recent hours, negotiations between Al-Ittihad and Porto for Rodrigo Mora have progressed. The 18-year-old forward, who had attracted interest from half of Europe, is about to head to Saudi Arabia thanks to an offer that's changed absolutely everything.
€75 million (82 million USD) for Porto, a huge salary that could allow him to retire at just 18, and the chance to play alongside Karim Benzema. Last January, Rodrigo Mora turned down the chance to move to the Premier League. Now he's finalizing his move to the Saudi Arabian club.
An offer too good to refuse that will tie him to Al-Ittihad for the coming years.
A great talent
Real Madrid has always kept an eye on the young talents with the greatest potential on the international stage. For some time now, it has set its sights on Rodrigo Mora, a footballer just 18 years old who has stood out in Europe.
With enormous potential ahead, the player has surprised everyone with his latest move: continuing his development in Saudi Arabian soccer. It's an unusual destination for a talent his age...
No one at the white club expected this move, but far from seeing it as a setback, Real Madrid believes it could be an opportunity for him to keep developing with less media pressure and in a different competitive environment. Internal reports highlight his technical ability, vision on the field, and personality, qualities that make him a very interesting prospect for the future.
At just 18, Mora has a huge margin for improvement ahead. At Santiago Bernabéu, they already see him as a footballer to watch very closely over the coming seasons. The white club's sporting management trust that his time in Saudi Arabia will allow him to gain experience and maturity before making the definitive leap to top-level European soccer.
Time will tell how far he can go, but what is clear is that Rodrigo Mora is on Real Madrid's radar, a club that rarely loses sight of the world's greatest football prospects.