The move would follow other recent academy exits such as Nico Paz, Víctor Muñoz, Mario Gila and Valdepeñas, continuing a pattern of Real Madrid cashing in on graduates who have not broken into the first team, according to AS.
Personal terms with the 20-year-old are understood to be all but agreed, with the two clubs now working through the finer points of a transfer valued by Madrid at around €16 million, a substantial sum for a player yet to make his senior debut, but one that reflects the reputation he has built inside the academy, where his style has drawn comparisons to Karim Benzema. Reports suggest the deal could be structured around an €8 million payment for half of Ortega's economic rights, with Madrid retaining the other half along with buy-back or matching options.
Strasbourg's sporting director David Weir, previously Brighton's technical director before joining the BlueCo network last year, has driven the deal personally. Strasbourg are owned by the same BlueCo consortium that controls Chelsea, underlining the financial firepower behind the move.
Ortega, born in Majadahonda, Madrid, on May 29, 2006, has enjoyed a breakout campaign after limited game time in previous seasons. He opted to stay in the Spanish capital rather than seek a loan elsewhere, and the decision paid off: he scored 19 goals this season across Real Madrid C, Castilla and the Juvenil A side's Youth League campaign, a competition his side went on to win, netting once in the quarter-final and again in the final.
His goal against Sporting Portugal in that quarter-final proved decisive, keeping Madrid alive before they went on to reach the Final Four.
Under Castilla coach Julián López de Lerma, Ortega established himself as a regular starter for the reserve side once first-choice forward Rachad returned from injury, scoring in wins over Lugo and Celta Fortuna along the way.
Across all three levels this season, he featured in 43 matches, a workload that speaks to both his fitness and his versatility across the club's youth and reserve set-up. He signed his first professional contract with Real Madrid this summer, running until June 2029.