Real Madrid have moved to strengthen their reserve side by agreeing a deal for Rayan Zinebi, the 19-year-old Granada forward, on a season-long loan with an option to buy set at around €2 million. The operation is described as very advanced, with several outlets close to reporting it as done. Real Madrid Castilla, who play in Primera RFEF and are chasing promotion to Segunda División, are the intended destination, with Zinebi expected to slot in as a central striker and add much-needed firepower to the attack.
Real Madrid have agreed a season-long loan for Granada forward Rayan Zinebi, 19, with a €2 million buy option to boost Castilla’s attack.
Zinebi, born in Barcelona but a Morocco international at Under-20 level, joined Granada from AE Prat and has since developed into one of the club’s most promising young attackers. Like many Atlas Lions who were born outside Morocco, Zinebi represents the growing influence of the Moroccan diaspora on the national team’s player pool. His breakout came with Granada’s Juvenil A side, where he impressed with his goal-scoring instincts and mobility, catching the eye of scouts across Spain. He also trained with Granada’s first team during preseason and featured in matchday squads, a sign of how highly he is rated internally.
For Granada, letting go of Zinebi represents a potential loss of a key academy asset, especially with his contract situation still unresolved. The club may see this as an opportunity to cash in on a player whose long-term future at the club was uncertain, while Real Madrid see a low-risk, high-upside addition to their academy pipeline. Morocco’s own investment in youth development, most notably through the Mohammed VI Football Academy, has helped raise the profile of young Moroccan talents like Zinebi on the international scouting radar.
At Valdebebas, Zinebi would join a Castilla squad built around developing talent for the long term rather than instant first-team impact. The plan appears to be integration into the group’s structure and playing style, with the option to buy giving Real Madrid flexibility depending on how he performs and progresses over the campaign.
The financial terms reflect this modest, calculated approach. A €2 million buy option is a small figure relative to the broader transfer market, but it fits Real Madrid’s usual academy strategy of recruiting promising teenagers rather than the finished product. The move is being framed by those close to the deal as a significant step in Zinebi’s career, offering him a clear path toward first-team football in Spain’s third tier while giving Real Madrid the chance to develop a player they clearly see long-term value in.
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