Florentino Perez makes direct contact with Levante President regarding Jorge De Frutos—Report

Florentino Perez has been in direct contact with Levante President, Francisco (Quico) Catalan, to discuss a potential transfer of Jorge De Frutos, according to Valencia based SuperDeporte. The two clubs would look to strike a deal similar to the positive negotiations achieved with Keylor Navas.

Due to Financial Fair Play restrictions, Levante are looking to raise around ~€16 million. Two players have been identified as expendable to realize those funds — Jorge De Frutos and Enis Bardhi. Levante purchased De Frutos from Real Madrid just last season. The player was sold for a small fee, around €1.8 million, with Madrid retaining 50% of his ownership.

The pure right winger had a sensational season. According to data from FBref, De Frutos finished 5th for all La Liga players in xA per 90, expected assists per 90 minutes. The likes of Toni Kroos and Lionel Messi were ahead of the 24-year- old. De Frutos finished the season with 4 goals and 12 assists, with much of that production coming from the bench as an impact substitute.

The report from SuperDeporte does state that the future of De Frutos is likely dependent on the future of Lucas Vazquez. It’s not yet clear whether a resolution will be found with his contract renewal negations and if no agreement is found, Madrid would look to utilize their interest in De Frutos.

Having played for Castilla and having remained “associated” with Real Madrid via loans at Valladolid and Rayo, De Frutos qualifies as an “associated-trained” player in regards to UEFA’s squad construction rules. This distinction, along with his Spanish nationality (fulfilling another quota), the ownership interest Madrid retains, and his overall high level of play has converted Jorge De Frutos into an easy transfer target.