Jose Mourinho steps in personally to stop Real Madrid star from leaving
Since Jose Mourinho became the new manager for next season, Real Madrid has been busy in the transfer market, aiming to end their two-year wait for a big trophy.
For the past two years, they’ve had to watch Barcelona win La Liga, while they haven’t come close to winning the Champions League or Copa del Rey since their double win in 2024.
Mourinho has focused on strengthening the defense, bringing in Ibrahima Konate after his contract with Liverpool ended, and signing Marc Cucurella from Chelsea.
While rebuilding the defense, Mourinho also made sure to keep one of his forwards by stepping in to stop him from leaving. Gonzalo Garcia played 39 games last season for Real Madrid, scoring eight goals and making three assists under both Xabi Alonso and Alvaro Arbeloa.
Many thought Garcia might leave this summer for more playing time, but journalist Matteo Moretto, reported by Marca, says Mourinho wants to see what Garcia can do before letting him go.
Garcia can play in different forward positions but mainly plays as a center forward, which means he could compete directly with Kylian Mbappe for a spot in the starting lineup.
At 22, Garcia has seen his former teammate Victor Munoz, also an academy graduate, move to Liverpool this summer. Munoz’s decision to join Osasuna last season for more game time paid off, leading to his Premier League move and a spot in Spain’s World Cup squad.
Garcia might have been thinking about a similar path for his career, but Mourinho’s choice could give him a different chance to grow and become a key player at Real Madrid.