Real Madrid will formally present Jesus Vallejo at the Bernabeu on Friday, with the Spain under-21 international having done enough on loan at Eintracht Frankfurt last season to secure a place in Zinedine Zidane's squad as a replacement for Pepe.
Vallejo joined Madrid from Real Zaragoza in a €5 million deal in 2015, but has not yet made an appearance for the club. He did however impress at Frankfurt, who were reportedly keen to get him back in the Bundesliga for another 12 months.
However, after starring as the Spain U21 team reached the final of this summer's European Championship, Madrid have confirmed that the youngster is to get an official unveiling, a sign that he will be involved in the upcoming campaign.
Meanwhile, Borja Mayoral, returning to Madrid after an unsuccessful year on loan at Wolfsburg, says he will work hard in preseason to convince Zidane to count on him for the 2017-18 campaign.
Mayoral impressed Zidane so much during their time together at the club's Castilla youth side that he was promoted to the first team at just 18-years-old when the Frenchman took over in January 2016.
The Spain U21 international's plan to gain experience in the Bundesliga last season did not go as hoped, and there has been speculation in Spain that he could go out on loan again, with Leganes and Getafe reportedly interested.
But with a possible first team squad place open following Mariano Diaz's move to Lyon, and uncertainty over the future of Alvaro Morata and Cristiano Ronaldo, he told AS that his aim now was to show he was capable of contributing to Zidane's squad and fulfilling his ultimate dream of being a success at Madrid.
"My loan at Wolfsburg is over and I am coming home to Madrid where I developed for nine seasons," Mayoral said. "I hope to work hard to improve alongside the players at Madrid who help you to improve more.
"I am joining up for preseason with them [on July 21 in California] and then I just go to work day-to-day. That is all that is in my mind -- working hard, which has brought me where I am today. To wear the Madrid jersey is a dream. That is my dream to be a success here at Madrid. I will work hard to achieve that."
Madrid have an impressive batch of Spanish youngsters coming through, including holding midfielder Marcos Llorente who is also returning following a loan spell at Alaves.
"Madrid have always had the best players, and that they have the best young players from this country is something very big for the team too," Mayoral said. "Marcos Llorente has played a magnificent Euros, and had a great season with Alaves. I hope he can stay, he is ready. Vallejo also had a great Euros, and his season in Germany was spectacular."
Mayoral said that Real Betis playmaker Dani Ceballos, linked with Madrid and Barcelona following his player of the tournament showing at this summer's European Under-21 Championship was an "incredible talent."
"Ceballos also has a lot of quality," he said. "The truth is he has shown he has incredible talent. I wish him the best as he is a great teammate and friend."
Although he faded completely out of the first team picture at Wolfsburg as 2016-17 progressed, and ended up with two goals from a total of just 374 Bundesliga minutes all season, Mayoral said he had learned a lot from his year in Germany.
"I would have liked to play more, but the experience was good, it is a nice place," he said. "I was at a big club like Wolfsburg. I am thankful to them for the chance to play in a league like the Bundesliga. Thankfully we stayed up, after suffering a bit over the season, but I am happy that I have developed quite a lot, played with great players and matured a lot."