Time will probably tell if Real Madrid have lost big. Paulo Iago, heralded as one of the biggest talents at La Fabrica, the club’s training center, has signed his first professional contract with Sporting. The 17-year-old Spanish midfielder had been at the club since 2014.
Perceived as the “Lamine Yamal of Fabrica”
His coach Alvaro Arbeloa was not necessarily counting on him in recent months. “I leave with a certain disappointment of not seeing this dream come true here,” commented Paulo Iago, who will therefore not turn pro with Real Madrid. “It was difficult to make this decision, and it hurts me a lot to leave. The reasons are what they are and I will keep them to myself.”
Paulo Iago was seen as the “Lamine Yamal of La Fabrica”, with over 200 goals since his arrival. An international U17, Iago also played alongside the Barça winger in the national team, also born in 2007 like him. The two men also share the same agent, namely Jorge Mendes.
“I am very happy to sign with Sporting CP because it is a club that has already done great things and trained great players like Cristiano Ronaldo and Luís Figo,” Paulo Iago said in Sporting’s statement. “I am very excited because it is a club that invests a lot in training and in young people, that motivates me.”
- RMC Sport
