Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho has decided that young midfielder Thiago Pitarch will remain at the club, despite interest from Fulham, and intends to include him in his first-team plans once he has recovered from injury.
According to Spanish newspaper AS, Mourinho has asked Real Madrid not to allow Pitarch to leave and does not plan to send him back to Castilla. Instead, the Portugal manager will rely on the 19-year-old as an additional first-team option when he is fit again.
Pitarch may continue to hold a registration card with Castilla, but Real Madrid will treat him as a senior squad player. Mourinho’s decision comes despite the arrival of attractive offers for the midfielder, with Fulham’s interest understood to be the most prominent.
Fulham are managed by Alvaro Arbeloa, who has also been involved in Pitarch’s development. However, Mourinho has chosen to keep the player in Madrid rather than allow him to move elsewhere.
Pitarch returned to Real Madrid after helping Spain win the European Under-19 Championship. He arrived with a clear ambition: to fight for his opportunity and establish himself in the Real Madrid team.
That determination was evident when he began pre-season preparations with the club. His progress was then interrupted by an injury setback, but the setback has not altered Mourinho’s view of his long-term prospects.
The midfielder is expected to compete for a place in the centre of the pitch, where Mourinho believes there is a role suited to him. His battle for regular involvement will be demanding, with considerable competition already present in the squad.
Mourinho has consistently favoured a 4-2-3-1 system. In the two deeper midfield positions, Pitarch will compete with Aurelien Tchouameni, Federico Valverde, Eduardo Camavinga and Bernardo Silva. Despite the strength of that group, the manager believes there is room for Pitarch within his plans.
The decision represents a significant show of confidence in a player whose immediate future had attracted interest from outside the club. Rather than returning to Castilla or pursuing a move to Fulham, Pitarch will remain with Real Madrid and attempt to earn his place in Mourinho’s midfield once he has completed his recovery.
For now, his immediate priority is to overcome the injury that disrupted the start of his preparations. After that, he will face a highly competitive fight for minutes, with Mourinho having made clear that he intends to give him the chance to compete at first-team level.
