Real Madrid extended its new policy of snapping up promising homegrown talent by paying 39 million euros ($50.9 million) to buy Spain Under-21 midfielder Asier Illarramendi out of his contract with La Liga rival Real Sociedad on Friday.

Big-spending Real president Florentino Perez is known for luring "galacticos" like David Beckham, Zinedine Zidane and Cristiano Ronaldo to the Bernabeu, but Illarramendi's capture follows hard on the heels of the purchase of playmaker Isco from Malaga and the return of fullback Daniel Carvajal from Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen.

The trio were on the Spain squad that won the Under-21 Euro championships in Israel last month and Isco and Illarramendi were both named to UEFA's team of the tournament.

Real sealed the deal for Illarramendi when it deposited the 23-year-old's buyout fee of 32.19 million euros plus value-added tax of 6.76 million with Spain's professional league, Sociedad president Jokin Aperribay said.

The Basque club, which qualified for the Champions League playoffs last season, did not want Illarramendi to leave but Real's move automatically triggered his exit, he added.

(China Daily 07/14/2013 page7)