Brahim Diaz has completed his transfer from Manchester City to Real Madrid for a fee believed to be in the region of £15m with add-ons.
The young midfielder will be unveiled at the Bernabeu on Monday.
There is a sell-on fee attached of reportedly 15% (40% if Manchester United try and purchase him).
The news was confirmed tonight by both City and Real Madrid and the player posted an emotional farewell on social media to City fans as he started the next chapter of his career.
He said: “Today I close a chapter of my life and I say goodbye to Manchester City, the club where I have grown.
“I came here being a kid and now I am a professional footballer.”
He also thanked the club and the managers in the club from the Academy to the first team and his team mates.
Brahim Diaz scored his first senior goals for Manchester City in November 2017
Diaz had scored his first senior goals this season – a double strike in the home Carabao Cup win over Fulham on November 1 – but he had made far fewer appearances in the City match day squad than Foden this term.
Diaz added: “I will never forget having my name chanted from from the stands the night we beat Fulham in the League Cup.”
Diaz had come up through the youth ranks to the fringes of the first team after signing as a youngster from Malaga.
He had played games for the EDS team alongside Phil Foden and Jadon Sancho and featured in the UEFA Youth League on Champions League days.
Appearances for Academy players still appear to be at a premium though with standards very high at City, and the talented trio found it hard to get regular game time in City’s high achieving title-winning team.
In 2017 Sancho took a gamble and went on to Borussia Dortmund after forcing a move away from the club although Foden played more minutes in the City first team this term culminating in a first goal at the Etihad during today’s FA Cup.
So with his own contract running down and the likes of Kevin De Bruyne, David Silva, Bernardo Silva, Ilkay Gundogan, and Foden in front of him Diaz opted to leave after Real Madrid offered playing time back in his family’s home country of Spain.
As with Sancho, City will pocket a substantial fee for the young midfielder.
The departure of Diaz leaves City with just Foden from that generation of young stars – but City boss Pep Guardiola has repeatedly stated that the Stockport-born midfielder – and lifelong City fan – would be a part of the first team picture.
With a packed January programme ahead, there does seem to be more opportunity for Foden to feature but with players like De Bruyne and David Silva returning from injury the youngster faces a stiff fight to get into the first team in a tight Premier League title race with Liverpool.
Denis Suarez linked with return to the Premier League
Another former Manchester City midfielder, Denis Suarez, has been linked with a return to the Premier League with Arsenal.
Since going to Barcelona he has La Liga experience including 3 league goals from 49 appearances.