Real Madrid president Florentino Perez says the promotion of Jesus Vallejo to a first-team squad place for next season is the continuation of a club policy in recent years of focusing on young players with potential.
Vallejo joined Madrid from Real Zaragoza in a €5 million deal in 2015 aged just 18, then spent the next season back on loan at his hometown club, before impressing hugely during a temporary spell in Germany at Eintracht Frankfurt in 2016-17.
After starring as the Spain team reached the final of this summer's European Under-21 Championship, Madrid announced Vallejo as a new squad member, where he joins Marco Asensio, Marcos Llorente, Borja Mayoral and new signing Theo Hernandez as options for coach Zinedine Zidane.
Speaking at the event in the Bernabeu's VIP suite, Perez suggested that he had learned from past experiences and was now blending young Spanish talent with international signings like Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale.
"We are working without rest in the present and thinking about the future, with what we have learned from the past," Perez said. "We are looking for the best for Real Madrid which makes the highest demands from us.
"For some years now Real Madrid has brought in young talented players, with a lot of potential, and today we are presenting one of these players, 20-years-old, who has more than enough talent to play for Real Madrid. Today we welcome Jesus Vallejo."
⚽🖋🇪🇸 #WelcomeVallejo
— Real Madrid C.F. (@realmadrid) July 7, 2017
👉 Jesús Vallejo#RealMadrid #HalaMadrid pic.twitter.com/Rw6MzfIFTx
Vallejo has signed a six-year contract, tying him to Madrid until 2022, and said he was now focused on working hard to gain a permanent place in the squad.
"Many thanks to the president and the club, who have shown a lot of confidence in me since I signed two years ago," he said. "Since then I have wanted to return this confidence. I still have a long way to go.
"With humility, hard work, effort and sacrifice I hope to be here for many years, as this is the best club in the world. I also thank the fans for their welcome. I am very happy to take on this responsibility. I will give everything for this badge and this shirt."
The youngster is now expected to take the place of Pepe, who left this summer after a decade at the Bernabeu, and has now joined Turkish side Besiktas.
Madrid are also pursuing a deal to sign Vallejo's Spain U21 teammate Dani Ceballos, with Real Betis president Angel Haro saying that both Los Blancos and Barcelona have made enquiries about the playmaker who impressed during this summer's European Under-21 Championship in Poland.