Real Madrid will reportedly wait until the end of the club’s condensed preseason before pushing forward with any transfer plans for the sought-after Gonzalo García.
In the space of less than one hot month in the U.S., García went from a figure scarcely recognizable to those outside Real Madrid’s academy to the second coming of Raúl. Kylian Mbappé’s bout of gastroenteritis forced Xabi Alonso to field the 21-year-old, who rewarded his new manager with four goals and an assist across six Club World Cup games.
Such form has unsurprisingly inspired admiring glances from a glut of clubs eager to whisk this young talent away.
Several La Liga sides have been tipped to offer García the guarantee of playing time with a season-long loan and Getafe president Ángel Torres publicized his club’s interest earlier this month. “We have had an agreement a month and a half ago with Gonzalo, and if he doesn’t stay at Real Madrid, he will come to Getafe,” he declared.
García’s representatives have questioned the convincing tone behind Torres’s proclamation. AS report that the Spanish forward is still considering a slew of “non-stop offers”, including several approaches from Premier League clubs. The same outlet claims that Madrid have not yet settled on García’s future themselves.
Alonso is expected to give his young striker another chance to impress during preseason, which begins for Real Madrid once players return from their extended breaks on Aug. 4. Much to the chagrin of those in the Spanish capital, La Liga have rejected Madrid’s attempts to delay their return to top-flight action, which will begin against Osasuna on Aug. 19.
García got his break thanks to Mbappé’s absence but retained his starting spot after the Frenchman returned to fitness during the tournament. Unlike his illustrious colleagues, García is willing to hare around the final third even when he doesn’t have the ball. This summer, the hard-working Spaniard averaged a successful tackle every 90 minutes. Vinicius Junior and Mbappé spent a combined 581 minutes on the pitch at the Club World Cup without winning possession back once.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as When Xabi Alonso Is Expected to Decide Real Madrid Future of ‘Next Raul’.
