Gonzalo García now looks set to stay at Real Madrid beyond this summer, after impressing José Mourinho in the opening training sessions of the new manager’s second spell at the club, according to COPE’s Arancha Rodríguez.
It’s a reversal of where things stood just weeks ago. García had spent most of the summer expected to leave, with interest from clubs including Newcastle United, who were reportedly exploring him as an option to fill their long-standing need for a new No. 9. Real Madrid themselves had been open to selling him even before Mourinho’s arrival, with a buy-back clause typically floated as part of any exit.
Why the plan changed
Mourinho’s arrival on July 13 reset the calculation. Rather than pushing García out the door, the coaching staff decided his profile as a genuine target man is worth keeping around — something the current squad lacks, and a type of striker Mourinho has always valued having available. García has reportedly turned up for pre-season in strong physical condition and made a real impression during the early sessions, enough to convince Mourinho to hold individual meetings with players as he shapes his squad plans for the year.
That doesn’t mean a starting role. García, 22, is expected to work almost exclusively off the bench this season, behind Kylian Mbappé in the pecking order and facing continued competition from Endrick for minutes. Last season he managed just 1,471 minutes across 15 starts, contributing eight goals and three assists — solid output, but not the platform he’ll have hoped for at this stage of his development.
Other decisions still to come
García’s situation is only one piece of a broader squad shake-up. Franco Mastantuono and Raúl Asencio are both now considered the most likely candidates to be sent out on loan for regular playing time, even though Mourinho reportedly rates both highly — the early read from pre-season suggests neither will get the minutes needed at the Bernabéu this season. Brahim Díaz’s situation also remains unresolved as Mourinho works through the rest of his squad decisions.
RMxtra Verdict
For a player who was being talked about as good as gone a month ago, García’s turnaround is a reminder of how quickly a new manager can reshuffle a squad’s pecking order. Staying as understudy minutes behind Mbappé isn’t the leading role García ultimately wants, but it buys him another season to make his case at the club that developed him.
