Gonzalo García is staying at Real Madrid. José Mourinho has told the club he wants to keep him, and according to MARCA, the new head coach does not believe there is another striker in his Real Madrid transfers squad with García’s profile.
That is a significant reversal. Three weeks ago, García looked closer to Fulham than to a matchday squad photo at Valdebébas. Álvaro Arbeloa, who managed García for Real Madrid Castilla before taking the Fulham job this summer, made the 22-year-old his No. 1 target and had roughly €30 million ready to spend. Mourinho has now shut that door.
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According to MARCA, Mourinho sees García as a traditional No. 9 — someone who can pin back centre-backs, win the ball in the air, and give Real Madrid a different attacking option when a match demands a change of style. That’s not a squad-filler description. It’s the description of a role Mourinho considers essential to have in any dressing room he runs, and right now no one else in the building fits it.
García’s case for staying was built last summer, not this one. He was the joint-top scorer at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup with four goals in six appearances, stepping in after Kylian Mbappé was hospitalised with gastroenteritis. He kept that form through a broken season under two different head coaches, starting 15 games in all competitions and scoring eight goals despite never holding down a settled run in the side.
Gonzalo García was the joint-top scorer of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, scoring four goals in six matches for Real Madrid.
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Fulham’s interest was real. Nizaar Kinsella of BBC Sport reported that Mourinho made his stance so clear to both Arbeloa and Fulham directly that the Cottagers have already stepped back from a permanent deal, with only a loan move left as a distant possibility. Fabrizio Romano’s reporting placed Real Madrid’s valuation well above Fulham’s opening figure, and Mourinho’s intervention has made that gap academic for now — the club has no intention of selling at any price this window.
Mourinho has made it clear to Álvaro Arbeloa and Fulham that Gonzalo García is not for sale this summer, according to BBC Sport.
The bigger consequence lands on Endrick. The Brazilian returns from the World Cup to find his path to minutes blocked by the same academy graduate he was supposed to be competing with for a bench role, not losing to for a permanent squad spot. Mourinho wants a genuine target man in reserve behind Mbappé, and for now, that’s García’s job to keep.
Real Madrid had been ready to consider offers worth around €30 million for Gonzalo García before Mourinho’s intervention this summer.
None of this guarantees García starts. Staying at Real Madrid under Mourinho likely means what it has always meant for him — minutes earned in bursts, usually from the bench, usually when the team needs exactly what he offers and nothing else will do. He has heard that trade-off before and answered it with a Golden Boot. Whether he’s willing to hear it again is his decision to make, not Mourinho’s.
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What’s next: Real Madrid open pre-season against Fiorentina in Klagenfurt on August 1, where García is expected to lead the line while Mbappé continues his return from international duty.
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FAQ
Is Gonzalo García leaving Real Madrid? No. José Mourinho has blocked a summer move, telling Real Madrid he wants to keep García as his back-up centre-forward. Fulham’s interest, once considered serious, has cooled since Mourinho made his position clear to both the club and the player.
Why does Mourinho want to keep Gonzalo García? Mourinho views García as the only true traditional No. 9 in his squad — a striker who can pin back centre-backs, win aerial duels, and change Real Madrid’s attacking approach mid-match. He considers that profile essential to have available.
Did Fulham make an offer for Gonzalo García? Fulham, managed by García’s former Castilla coach Álvaro Arbeloa, prepared an offer worth around €30 million. According to BBC Sport, Mourinho has since made clear to both Fulham and Arbeloa that García is not for sale this summer.
What position does Gonzalo García play for Real Madrid? García is a central striker — a classic No. 9 who leads the line, holds up play, and attacks crosses in the air, offering a different profile to Kylian Mbappé and Endrick in Real Madrid’s forward line.
How many goals has Gonzalo García scored for Real Madrid? García scored eight goals in 15 appearances across all competitions in 2025-26, on top of four goals at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, where he finished as joint-top scorer.
About the Author
By James Hartwell | Football Writer, Sportspherearena Football journalist covering the world’s top leagues and global transfer market — fast, well-sourced, and always first to the story. James Hartwell is a football journalist with over six years of experience covering the world’s top leagues, from the Premier League and La Liga to the Bundesliga, Ligue 1, Serie A and beyond, known for delivering breaking news and transfer updates with the accuracy and authority football fans demand.
Last updated: July 28, 2026
