Real Madrid player dubbed 'next Lamine Yamal' forced exit from club to follow in Cristiano Ronaldo's footsteps

A Real Madrid player dubbed the 'next Lamine Yamal' is now playing in a completely different league after deciding to leave the club aged 17.

Spanish youth international midfielder Paulo Iago has been likened to Lionel Messi given his goalscoring talents.

He was once regarded as one of the crown jewels of the Real academy, and was tipped as one of 20 young Real stars to watch by Marca all the way back in 2020.

But last September, Iago left the Bernabeu to join Portuguese giants Sporting Lisbon - who were Cristiano Ronaldo's first club.

The midfielder signed his first professional contract in 2022 but, perhaps in a sign of how much he had developed, Relevo reported that Real would not stand in the way of a departure before the end of Iago's contract in the summer of 2025.

It was also claimed that Iago was disappointed with his playing time at U19 level.

He wrote on Instagram: "It was hard to have to make this decision and it hurts me a lot to leave so I'm leaving... The reasons are what they are, I keep them to myself.

"I will speak clearly when the time comes. From there, it's my decision, made in agreement with my family."

Image: Instagram/Paolo Iago

Nearly 12 months on, Iago is listed as having played nine games for Sporting's U23 squad last season, while he has also been part of their B squad.

He scored his first goal for the U19s in a 2-1 win over Estrela in April, in what was the final game of the season.

So far, a first team debut has yet to be forthcoming, but with a contract until the summer of 2029, Iago has plenty of time left to prove himself.

Whether he can fulfil his seemingly vast potential as a Real academy player, though, remains to be seen.