Real Madrid’s academy, La Fábrica, has set a record income from the sales of young players from its ranks during the 2026 summer transfer market. The Spanish giants generated close to €200 million from the sales of graduates from their youth academy, making it one of the most profitable sales of the transfer market. The amount of money earned from the sales of young players from their own system saw Real Madrid passing their own record. Nico Paz, Gonzalo Garcia and Víctor Muñoz, all products of Real Madrid youth academy, have scored the club a significant income, while others are also set to add to the total.
La Fábrica’s latest transfer to contribute to the impressive figure was 19-year-old Jacobo Ortega, whose 70 per cent ownership was sold to Strasbourg for €10 million. The amount Real Madrid received for the forward is even more impressive considering the fact that he has not seen the first team pitch for the club, even though he trains with them on a regular basis. The huge profits show that Real Madrid have managed to turn La Fábrica into a proper money printing machine. It is not uncommon to see young players from the famed academy move to other clubs, with Real Madrid being able to make considerable profits from their development. The transfer of Nico Paz to Como for instance, has so far earned the Spanish club €66 million from the Italian side, as the initial fee plus add-ons would surpass that amount.l
According to previous reports, the total amount of money earned from the sales of La Fábrica graduates since 2005 reached €548.5 million, with the summer of 2026 seeing yet another record breaking transfer revenue for the club. There is also a possibility of Real Madrid bettering the amount even further, as there are still a number of other graduates from their youth academy who could move before the transfer market is closed.
“We have reached an agreement”: Jacobo Ortega completes historic Real Madrid exit academy confirms departure
Real Madrid have announced the departure of academy graduate Jacobo Ortega, with the rising star joining French Ligue 1 side Strasbourg in a high-profile transfer deal worth €10 million. The Spanish giants confirmed the news on Monday, with the 18-year-old forward set to complete a medical and finalize the details ahead of the transfer window opening. The player joined Real Madrid’s famed La Fábrica at the age of 12 as a youth prospect, and he signed his first professional contract back in August 2021.
Real Madrid will have a 30 percent sell clause in the deal, as per sources in Spain. Meanwhile, the club released a statement on their official website, which read, “Real Madrid Football Club and Strasbourg Football Club have reached an agreement on the transfer of our player Jacobo Ortega.” The 19-year-old has signed a five-year contract with the French club. The transfer represents a historic milestone for Real Madrid’s academy, as it is reportedly the club’s highest-value sale of a player who never made a first-team appearance. The talented striker enjoyed a breakthrough 2025-26 campaign, particularly in the UEFA Youth League, where he was Real Madrid’s top scorer and helped the youth side lift the trophy.
His performances attracted interest from several clubs before Strasbourg secured his signature. The move also adds to an extraordinary summer for La Fábrica, with academy graduates including Nico Paz, Gonzalo García and Víctor Muñoz generating substantial transfer income. Ortega’s departure takes Real Madrid’s reported 2026 summer earnings from academy-player sales close to €200 million.
