In a Monday announcement, Spanish football giant Real Madrid confirmed it has reached an agreement to transfer 20-year-old center forward Jacobo Ortega to French Ligue 1 club RC Strasbourg. The La Liga side did not disclose any financial or additional contractual details of the transfer, leaving terms of the deal undisclosed to the public.
Ortega, who emerged through Real Madrid’s youth academy, built his reputation as a promising attacking talent with a key performance in last season’s UEFA Youth League final. The young striker found the back of the net against Belgium’s Club Brugge in the title decider, which was held on April 20 in Lausanne, Switzerland. After 90 minutes ended in a 1-1 draw, Real Madrid claimed the trophy by beating Club Brugge in a penalty shootout. This marked the second time Real Madrid has lifted the UEFA Youth League crown since the competition was launched 12 years ago, highlighting the strength of the club’s youth development system.
Strasbourg, for its part, confirmed that Ortega has put pen to paper on a contract that will keep him at the French club through 2031. The transfer marks another major addition to Strasbourg’s squad this summer transfer window, coming just weeks after the club secured American international midfielder Gio Reyna from German Bundesliga side Borussia Mönchengladbach earlier this month.
Strasbourg currently operates under the same shared ownership structure as English Premier League club Chelsea. Last season, the Ligue 1 side finished eighth in the French top flight, a result that meant the club missed out on qualification for any European competitions for the upcoming 2024-2025 campaign. The additions of Ortega and Reyna signal the club’s ambition to climb the Ligue 1 table and earn European qualification in the coming season.