Gonzalo Garcia's Future: Real Madrid vs Fulham

Real Madrid are trying to lock down a player who barely saw the pitch last season, yet suddenly finds himself at the centre of a tug of war.

Gonzalo Garcia, the forward squeezed out by the arrival and status of Kylian Mbappe, has serious admirers in the Premier League. Fulham are pushing, sensing opportunity in a squad where Mbappe’s shadow looms over every attacking option.

Inside Valdebebas, though, the mood is different.

According to The Athletic, sources close to Jose Mourinho insist the Real Madrid manager is not treating Garcia as a disposable squad piece. He wants him to stay. Not as a distant backup, not as a name on a team sheet to fill a quota, but as part of his attacking plan for the new season.

That stance puts Madrid on a tightrope.

If Garcia leaves, those same sources say Mourinho’s gaze will swing immediately to Endrick. The Brazilian has just returned from a six-month loan at Lyon and, on paper, he is the only pure alternative to Mbappe through the middle.

One injury. One suspension. One tactical rethink. Right now, it’s Mbappe or Endrick. That’s the reality.

Mourinho, the report adds, is pushing for a traditional No 9 profile in the squad. A striker who lives in the box, who occupies centre-backs, who gives Madrid a different route when the patterns around Mbappe and the wide players are stifled. The board are already scanning the market for that type of forward, aware that the manager wants variety, not just star power.

Yet the dilemma remains unresolved. Do Madrid cash in on Garcia, open a slot, and go hunting for that classic striker? Or do they protect what they already have, keep Garcia in-house, and trust Endrick as the next in line behind Mbappe?

Fulham’s interest adds pressure. The Premier League side see a player blocked by a global superstar and hope Madrid will eventually blink. If they don’t, Garcia stays to fight for minutes in a crowded, unforgiving forward line. If they do, Endrick’s importance spikes overnight.

For Mourinho and Madrid, the decision is more than a simple sale or stay. It shapes how they attack a season built around Mbappe – and how much risk they are willing to carry if their main man ever has to watch from the bench.