Real Madrid began Xabi Alonso’s tenure with Kylian Mbappe in hospital, and a relative unknown up front. Although fans of the club will be familiar with this season’s top scorer for Real Madrid Castilla, Gonzalo Garcia Torres is beginning to make a name for himself.
With Mbappe laid low with accute gastroentiritis for much of the last two weeks, Alonso’s desire to use a natural forward permitted Garcia a chance in the first team. That chance has been grasped with both hands, and the 21-year-old has scored twice and given an assist in his first three starts for the club.
According to Cadena SER and Diario AS, Real Madrid have received enquiries for Garcia Torres from the Premier League. Three teams at the top end of the table have asked Los Blancos about Garcia’s availability this summer. Their response has been to signal his €50m release clause to any side that wants him. It is also stated that half the clubs in La Liga intend to request a loan deal for Garcia once the season has started.
It has been reported that Real Madrid are keen to add a forward to their squad this summer, following the sorely missed absence of Joselu Mato last season. Garcia’s primary goal is to fulfil a dream and stay in the first team at the Santiago Bernabeu. Meanwhile Alonso recently said that ‘no decision has been made’ about Garcia’s future.
More recently though, it has been reported that Garcia is winning Alonso round, and the manager at least is keen to keep him. Real Madrid had initially intended to cash in on Garcia this summer, but Alonso’s comparison of him to Raul Gonzalez suggests that the Basque manager regards him very highly.
