Real Madrid step up pursuit of 17-year-old Mexican wonderkid Gilberto Mora

Martin Macdonald

• Updated: 16 Oct 2025 15:09 BST

News

Real Madrid are willing to pay up to €35 million to sign Mexican wonderkid Gilberto Mora.

The 17-year-old, who just turned 17 this week, has emerged as a sensation in his home country with Club Tijuana as well as at international level with Mexico Under-20s.

The attacking midfielder hit the headlines in August of 2024 when he became the youngest scorer in Liga MX history at just 15 years and 320 days old.

The youngster has made 41 appearances for Club Tijuana despite his young age, scoring seven goals and recording two assists in that time.

At the ongoing U-20 World Cup, he has been one of the best players of the tournament with three goals and two assists in five matches, though Mexico were eliminated by Argentina at the quarter-final stage.

In addition to Real Madrid, he is being looked at closely by Manchester United, Barcelona, Ajax, Manchester City, Arsenal and Chelsea - among other clubs.

Mora ready for Europe?

Mora's agent previously confirmed interest from European sides and, in her opinion, he is ready now to make that leap in his career.

"Yes (there have been offers) I know, but I can't say more," Rafaela Pimenta, also the agent of Erling Haaland, told reporters recently.

"Gilberto Mora is a player who can play anywhere. I've been working on this for 30 years and I've rarely seen players like him. I have also seen this with other high-level athletes. They are players who have an aura, a magnetism, something that when they arrive at a place you feel.

"It's impressive. I've seen this a few times in my life. This talent is only going to develop because he has the concentration and everything he needs. This means for me that he is a player who is ready. You put this boy tomorrow in a Champions League team and he plays."

The FootballTransfers app

Check out FootballTransfers' new app for all of football's big storylines, transfer rumours and exclusive news in one convenient place directly on your mobile device.

The FootballTransfers app is available on in the Apple App Store. Download here:

•App Store