It has been a busy summer for Real Madrid. Los Blancos has supplemented their defensive core with Dean Huijsen, Alvaro Carreras and Trent Alexander-Arnold, while also added Franco Mastantuono to the mix, with a total of € 167.5 million in new signing sessions. In terms of expenditure, Los Blancos lost two experienced leaders in Lucas Vazquez and Luka Modric, while they have also changed managers, to replace Carlo Ancelotti with Xabi Alonso.
However, there are still a few questions that need to be answered when they enter the 2025/26 season. For example, what is the future for Rodrygo? Does Real Madrid have to add another central midfielder to their team? Is it time to cash in Vinicius Junior?
A question that is a lot of trivial, but is still somewhat important is what will happen to the club's vacant number 9 shirt. Kylian Mbappe spent his Rookie season in Real Madrid wearing the #9, only to exchange it for the number 10 after the contract of Luka Modric had not been renewed. In addition, he now wears the same number for club and country. It is now up to Real Madrid to find a worthy receiver of a song worn by various icons such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Alfredo di Stefano, Karim Benzema and Ronaldo.
There are a few potential options for the number nine. For example, Teenage Forward Endrick Felipe could stand in line as a confidentialist, after he achieved seven goals in 37 performances despite playing second-Viddle to Mbappe in his debut season, while Mastantuono could also get the number nine as a motivator. Perhaps the most likely option is none other than Gonzalo Garcia.
Garcia was born in Madrid and joined the Real Madrid academy in 2014 and spent four years there before he went to Mallorca in 2018 next to his family. After a year on the Balearic Islands, Garcia returned to the Spanish capital and continued his development in La Fabrica. Garcia received his first call-up at the Senior Team on August 29, 2023. Three months later, Garcia would make his first performance for Real Madrid and play 12 minutes during his debut against Cadiz before playing a five-minute Cameo against Granada.
It seemed that Garcia was on its way to a breakout campaign in the first team, but instead the arrivals of Endrick and Mbappe kept him firmly in the set-up of Castilla. Last season he took his debut goal against Leganes in the quarterfinals of Copa del Rey, but he was unable to appear his second second team until May after the Hamstring injury of Endrick, who came from the bank in their last three games and an assist against Sevilla. After having matched Mariano Diaz's record with 25 goals during a single Castilla season of Real Madrid, Garcia would finally get a chance in the Senior Setup.
Because Endrick was not driving to the United States and Mbappe was sidelined with a stomach virus, Garcia went from third-choice to first-choice and eventually got the chance to shine as the starting center Vooruit in the FIFA Club World Cup. He took it with both hands, scored in a 1-1 draw against Al-Hilal in their tournament opener, an assist against Pachuca and added another goal in their last group match with Red Bull Salzburg. He continued his great form in the knockout rounds, scored the only goal of the match against Juventus and also broke the impasse with Borussia Dortmund. And while he was struggling in the semi -final defeat against PSG after he had been widely taken out, he nevertheless ended the tournament as the Golden Boot winner.
While the make -over from Real Madrid is still taking shape, it seems increasingly likely that only one player will remain between Endrick and Garcia in Real Madrid and challenging Mbappe for the forward role of the starting center. The person who eventually gets the #9 can be an early sign of the winner, or vice versa. Both players are much too talented to stay as the option on the third string, but both are also said to be in real Madrid.
Should give something … the only question is, what exactly?