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Real Madrid's young center midfield prodigy, 19 year-old Sergio Canales will spend the next two seasons on loan at Valencia, according to various sources. While some are reporting that the 19 year-old budding star has not yet given his OK to the move to los ché, most reports indicate that he will consent within the coming 48 hours (if he hasn't already--this Valencia blog quotes him as saying "I'm really happy with my new team" without providing a source).
As it stands, though, the exciting young center midfielder--who's currently playing with the Spanish U-20 national team in the Under 20 World Cup (alongside leading scorer Álvaro Morata)--will certainly leave Real Madrid within the next few days. Los blancos have reserved a buy-back option (for €18 million), however, if Valencia exercise their right to buy the player for €12 million (basically, Madrid will end up paying Valencia €6 million if they want Canales back).
Interestingly, and completely unsurprisingly, Madrid have included a clause in Canales' new contract that prevents him from playing against los merengues while he's wearing a Valencia shirt. This is a very normal clause that teams loaning players tend to include in their players' contracts: last year, for example, Madrid included a similar clause in Royston Drenthe's contract with Hércules. (There has been some "speculation" that Madrid have also included a clause in Canales' contract that forces him to room with notorious nudist Éver Banega if he doesn't score against Barcelona).
OK, fine, there hasn't been any speculation about that. But it'd be funny, right?
In any case, this should be a great opportunity for the young playmaker to grow into the player we all think he can be. It also represents a real chance to get first-team soccer in the first division, which is something that Madrid couldn't promise him. Here's hoping that everything that we've heard about him is true, and he ends up being one of those once in a generation players (so Madrid can get him back for only about €6 million).