After months of uncertainty, the highly-rated right-back is staying in Madrid thanks to Xabi Alonso and Álvaro Arbeloa’s influence—and he may finally get his first-team chance this summer.
Jesss Fortea is expected to sign a new contract with Real Madrid that will keep him at the club until 2031, according to Cadena COPE. Other outlets, such as AS, report the extension may run through 2029, but all indications suggest the renewal is imminent and merely awaits official confirmation.
It marks a surprising turn in Fortea’s trajectory. After being overlooked by Carlo Ancelotti—even during Dani Carvajal’s absence through injury and amid a string of underwhelming performances from Lucas Vazquez—the 17-year-old right-back was widely expected to depart. But conversations with both Álvaro Arbeloa and Xabi Alonso have proven pivotal, convincing Fortea that his future remains tied to the Spanish capital.
In a market lacking elite full-back options, Fortea is regarded as one of the most promising profiles in Europe. Losing him without granting a single first-team opportunity would have been a misstep both sportingly and symbolically.
There appears to be a growing alignment between Xabi Alonso and Arbeloa in spotlighting La Fabrica’s top prospects, and Fortea is among those now being fast-tracked. He’s expected to travel with the first team for this summer’s Club World Cup—a platform that could offer him the opportunity he’s been waiting for.
