La Liga club take up permanent buy option for 22-year-old Real Madrid youngster

According to Onda Cero, La Liga club Getafe have decided to activate the permanent purchase option for Real Madrid youngster Juanmi Latasa following his loan stint at the club in 2022/23.

Latasa was regarded as one of the brightest young talents coming through the ranks at Real Madrid. The 22-year-old striker scored 18 goals in 50 games for the club’s Castilla outfit before making his first-team debut for Carlo Ancelotti’s side.

However, last summer, Latasa was loaned out to Getafe in order for him to continue his development. The loan deal included an option for the Azulones to make his transfer permanent at the end of the season.

Latasa did not have the greatest of seasons at Getafe as he barely got an opportunity to make an impact. Indeed, of his 21 appearances across all competitions, only three were starts and he managed only two goals.

So, there was some expectation that Getafe might not decide to buy him and that Latasa would return to Real Madrid, where he could serve as a replacement for Mariano Diaz and provide backup to whoever the new No. 9 will be at the Santiago Bernabeu.

However, that will no longer be an option as Getafe have decided to make Latasa’s transfer permanent. The 22-year-old will now thus be a full-time player for the Azulones, although Real Madrid could still retain 50% of the striker’s rights.

As for the Merengues, they will need to beef up their attacking resources having lost Karim Benzema, Marco Asensio, Mariano Diaz, and Eden Hazard since the end of the season.

Harry Kane continues to be linked heavily but there are doubts about a move as Florentino Perez wishes to rope in Kylian Mbappe next year. A stop-gap option in the form of Joselu is being explored and it remains to be seen who ends up joining Real Madrid.