Jose Mourinho, the manager of Real Madrid, has decided to keep Thiago Pitarch within the first-team ranks for the new season. The Portuguese coach has refused to let the club’s academy talent leave, despite receiving several offers this summer.
According to the Spanish newspaper AS, Mourinho requested the 19-year-old midfielder to stay, convinced of his ability to compete for a spot in the starting lineup once he recovers from his current injury.
Mourinho’s decision definitively closes the door on interest from Fulham. The English club had made a move to sign Pitarch at the specific request of their manager, Álvaro Arbeloa, who previously coached the player in the Real Madrid academy.
The English offer was the most attractive both financially and athletically, especially with Fulham ready to give Pitarch a prominent role in Arbeloa’s project. However, the player’s absolute priority was to remain at Real Madrid and establish himself in the first team.
Due to a shortage of available squad numbers in the first team, Pitarch has been registered with Real Madrid Castilla. However, this administrative measure will not change his sporting status; he will work permanently with Mourinho’s squad and will not participate in any matches with the reserve team.
The “Special One” believes that Pitarch can add significant value to the midfield in a 4-2-3-1 formation. He is set to become one of Mourinho’s key options, alongside Fede Valverde, Aurelien Tchouameni, Eduardo Camavinga, and Bernardo Silva.
Pitarch suffered an injury during his first training session after returning from the Under-19 European Championship. An awkward movement caused a moderate sprain to the medial collateral ligament (MCL) in his left knee, ruling him out for 6 to 8 weeks.
As a result, the young midfielder will miss the pre-season preparations and the first three rounds of La Liga. He is targeting a return during the first half of September, aiming to be fully fit for the match against Elche, scheduled for September 16.
