Real Madrid academy forward Jacobo Ortega has completed his move to French club RC Strasbourg in a deal worth €10 million, with the Spanish giants retaining a 30% interest in the player.
The transfer represents another significant sale from Real Madrid’s famed academy and comes after Ortega enjoyed a breakthrough campaign with the club’s youth setup and Castilla.
According to reports from AS, Strasbourg have acquired 70% of Ortega’s rights for €10 million, making the move one of the most notable sales involving a Real Madrid academy player who had not made his first-team debut.
Strasbourg complete Ortega signing
Ortega, whose full name is Jacobo Ortega Conde, is a Madrid-born forward who has been part of the Real Madrid academy since childhood.
Real Madrid’s official academy profile lists Ortega as a forward and confirms his progression through several levels of the club's youth system, including Infantil B, Infantil A, Cadete B, Cadete A, Juvenil C, Juvenil B and Real Madrid C.
His development accelerated during the 2025/26 campaign, when he featured prominently between Real Madrid C and Castilla while also making an impact in the UEFA Youth League.
The 20-year-old became one of the academy's standout attacking players, attracting interest from several clubs in Spain and elsewhere in Europe.
Strasbourg eventually emerged as the strongest option and secured the transfer.
Real Madrid retain 30% interest
One of the most interesting elements of the agreement is the structure of the transfer.
Rather than selling 100% of Ortega's rights, Real Madrid have retained 30%, while Strasbourg acquire the remaining 70% for €10 million.
That arrangement gives Madrid continued financial involvement in Ortega's future and could prove valuable if the forward develops into a major player and attracts a significant transfer fee later in his career.
Earlier reports had suggested a different structure for the deal. In late July, AS reported that Strasbourg were negotiating to acquire 50% of Ortega's rights for around €8 million, with Madrid retaining the remaining 50% and additional protections.
The final agreement therefore represents a change from the structure that was initially being discussed, with the completed operation now reported at €10 million for 70% of the player's rights.
A major sale for La Fábrica
The Ortega transfer is another example of Real Madrid's ability to generate significant revenue from its academy.
The club has been particularly active in moving young players who have developed through La Fábrica but have not secured regular first-team opportunities.
Recent academy-related departures have included several players who subsequently moved to clubs across Europe, helping Real Madrid generate substantial transfer income while maintaining various forms of future financial protection.
Cadena SER reported that Ortega's €10 million transfer contributed to Real Madrid approaching €200 million in income from academy-player sales during the summer transfer window.
AS similarly described the Strasbourg deal as a historic sale for the Madrid academy, noting that Ortega became the club's highest-value sale involving a player who had not reached the first team.
Ortega's rise at Real Madrid
Ortega's departure comes after a rapid rise through the Madrid youth system.
Born in Madrid on May 29, 2006, he joined the Real Madrid academy at a young age and progressed through the club's youth categories before reaching Real Madrid C.
His performances during the 2025/26 season significantly increased his profile.
He was particularly influential in the UEFA Youth League, where Real Madrid won the competition. Reports from Spain indicate that Ortega scored four goals during the campaign, including the opening goal in the final against Club Brugge.
His performances also attracted interest from clubs in Spain's top division, but Strasbourg's project ultimately convinced the forward to continue his career in France.
Why Strasbourg?
The move gives Ortega an opportunity to continue his development in a first-team environment outside Spain.
Strasbourg are part of the BlueCo ownership group, which also owns Chelsea, and have increasingly built their recruitment strategy around young players with significant development potential.
For Ortega, the move represents a major step away from academy football and into senior European competition.
Instead of remaining further down the Real Madrid hierarchy while competing for opportunities in the Spanish system, he will now have the chance to establish himself in French football.
What the deal means for Real Madrid
From Madrid's perspective, the structure offers both immediate financial return and potential future upside.
The club receives €10 million from Strasbourg while retaining 30% of Ortega's rights, meaning Madrid have not completely relinquished their economic interest in the forward.
The deal also continues a strategy in which Real Madrid allow promising academy players to leave when a pathway into the first team becomes difficult, while maintaining financial mechanisms that could benefit the club if those players develop elsewhere.
For Strasbourg, meanwhile, the signing represents an investment in a young striker whose performances have already attracted attention across Europe.
Ortega now begins the next chapter of his career in France, with the €10 million transfer giving him an opportunity to prove himself at senior level while Real Madrid continue to retain a stake in his future.
Transfer status: COMPLETED
Fee: €10 million
Rights transferred: 70%
Real Madrid retained: 30%
New club: RC Strasbourg