Lille moved to sign young Real Madrid midfielder Thiago Pitarch after manager Davide Ancelotti selected him as a primary solution to replace Ayyoub Bouaddi, who is expected to depart for Manchester City.
The Athletic revealed that the French club contacted Real Madrid’s management to gauge the feasibility of a deal, capitalizing on their manager’s relationship with the Spanish giants; however, the attempt ran into a firm stance at the Santiago Bernabéu.
Real Madrid refused to consider Pitarch’s departure, and reports disclosed no specific transfer fee or formal structure, indicating the process halted at the initial contact phase without progressing to official club-to-club negotiations.
This decision follows the 19-year-old signing an improved contract this week, alongside José Mourinho’s insistence on retaining him within the first-team setup. The Portuguese manager requested his stay and confirmed he will not return to Castilla, even if he remains officially registered with the reserve squad.
Lille’s interest came after agreeing to sell Bouaddi to Manchester City for a fixed €95 million plus €5 million in add-ons, leaving Davide Ancelotti searching for a player capable of building play from deep, before also turning his attention to Feyenoord midfielder Givarro Zechiël.
Pitarch is currently recovering from a medial collateral ligament (MCL) injury in his left knee, sustained due to an awkward movement during his first training session after returning from the U-19 European Championship, with initial medical estimates setting his absence between 6 and 8 weeks.
The midfielder is expected to begin a gradual return in mid-September if his recovery program proceeds as planned. Following his return, he will compete with Aurélien Tchouaméni, Fede Valverde, Eduardo Camavinga, and Bernardo Silva for a spot in Mourinho’s central midfield double-pivot, having previously featured in 16 first-team matches and provided two assists last season.
