Real Madrid are no longer expected to pursue a new striker during the summer transfer window, with reports suggesting new manager Xabi Alonso has been won over by the emergence of young Gonzalo García.
After joining the club earlier this summer, Alonso made it clear he wanted a new striker to offer an alternative profile to Kylian Mbappé. The example given was Joselu, a physical presence happy to spend most of his time on the bench, as was the case during the towering forward’s 2023–24 loan spell at the Santiago Bernabéu.
A handful of names have been suggested, most recently Ante Budimir of Osasuna, but AS state García may now be given the role after his impressive showings at the Club World Cup.
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García, 21, has netted twice in three games this summer, with Alonso even comparing the emerging striker to the legendary Raúl González. His form is believed to have already convinced Alonso that García is capable of filling the brief next season. As a result, Madrid officials have halted their search for a new striker.
Joselu even appeared to endorse García on social media, commenting a fire emoji on a post of the striker celebrating at the Club World Cup.
“[Joselu] has been a great player here at the club and a role model for me,” García said recently. “The other day I spoke to him and told him that all this talk of comparing me to him is an honor for me and something I never imagined.
“He’s a role model and a striker who has done very well here at Castilla and in the first team. I hope I can be like him.”
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Real Madrid ‘Perform Striker Transfer U-Turn’ During Club World Cup.
