Real Madrid have agreed a new long-term contract with Club World Cup breakout star Gonzalo García that makes him a fully-fledged first-team player, the Spanish giants announced Friday.
The 21-year-old has been rewarded with a pay rise after his impressive performance during the tournament in the United States, sources told ESPN, and the club will also significantly increase his release clause to prevent other clubs from tempting him away.
García, whose new deal runs through the summer of 2030, is already training with the first team ahead of the start of LaLiga against Osasuna.
The player has earned his promotion from the youth team thanks to his performances in the Club World Cup, where he took advantage of Kylian Mbappé’s absence in the first few games to become one of the revelations of the tournament.
He was able to keep his place in the starting XI, even in the defeat against Paris Saint-Germain in the semifinals, and was crowned top scorer of the tournament with four goals.
Head coach Xabi Alonso saw in the young García the Joselu-style striker he had asked for as soon as he arrived at Valdebebas in the summer. The youngster ably fulfilled that role and Madrid ruled out the idea of signing a recognised striker as a result.
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Sources told ESPN the player’s squad number is yet to be decided.
In the training match that Madrid played against Leganés on Friday morning, García was seen wearing the No. 16 — a number that on the club’s official website still belongs to Endrick. Mbappé has already worn the No. 10 shirt, Raúl Asencio the 17, Álvaro Carreras the 18, Dean Huijsen the 24 and Trent Alexander-Arnold the 12.
The match was played behind closed doors, but sources told ESPN Real Madrid won 4-1, with Thiago Pitarch, another of the youth players who is standing out in Madrid’s preseason, scoring one of the goals.
Alonso tried out David Alaba as a central midfielder in a match that consisted of two 45-minute halves.
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