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Aston Villa are set to make a bid for Real Madrid striker Gonzalo Garcia, according to a report in Spain, but there is no way that Los Blancos manager Xabi Alonso can allow him to join Unai Emery’s side. Garcia is the second-choice striker at Real Madrid behind Kylian Mbappe at the moment, with the Spanish youngster making just one start and five substitute appearances in LaLiga so far this season. It has been hard for the 21-year-old to make an impact in the Champions League, too, with Alonso handing the youngster just 11 minutes in Europe’s premier club competition. The striker burst on to the scene in the summer of 2025 when he starred for Madrid at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup. Garcia scored four goals and gave one assist in six matches in the competition, but it was always unlikely that he would be able to get ahead of Mbappe in the team when LaLiga and the Champions League started. That has turned out to be the case, which has led Aston Villa to show a keen interest in Garcia, according to a Spanish news outlet. Fichajes has reported that Villa are ‘willing to offer Real Madrid €20million (£17.4m, $23.2m) to sign’ Garcia in the January transfer window. The Villans want to strengthen their attacking unit and view Garcia as ‘an attractive option’ and have already ‘expressed interest in the Real Madrid striker, citing his youth, talent, and growth potential’. Ollie Watkins and Evann Guessand are the two recognised centre-forward options for Villa manager Emery at the moment. Villa are three points off the Premier League top four at the moment and are chasing a Champions League spot. As for Madrid, Los Blancos are two points clear of defending champions and second-placed Barcelona at the top of LaLiga and have won all three of their Champions League games so far this season. READ NEXT 🔴 Thibaut Courtois is ‘the BEST goalkeeper in the world’ as Real Madrid star reaches ‘milestone’ in Juventus win Real Madrid should NOT sell Gonzalo Garcia to Aston Villa Fichajes is not one of the most reliable sources, so the claim that Villa are planning to bid for Garcia has to be taken with a pinch of salt. However, Villa’s interest in the Madrid striker has been reported in the Italian media, too. According to MilanLive.it, along with AC Milan, Villa are also keen on a January deal for Garcia. West Ham United and Fulham are also believed to have taken a shine to Garcia, who came through the Madrid youth system to establish himself in the first team. However, Madrid simply cannot let Garcia leave in the January transfer window, even on a loan deal. While Garcia is not going to become a regular in Alonso’s starting line-up anytime soon, the fact of the matter is that he is a good option to have in their squad. Garcia is a good striker to bring on as a substitute for Mbappe in the second half of matches. Moreover, the Spaniard would be in line to start as the Madrid number nine should Mbappe suffer an injury. Endrick is another striker option for Alonso, but the Brazil international striker could leave Madrid on loan, sources have told TEAMtalk. Moreover, Alonso himself has said that Endrick has to do a lot more to get into the team, which suggests that the Madrid manager does not think that he is ready to get ahead of Garcia in the pecking order. Alonso told TNT Sports Brasil after Madrid’s 1-0 win against Juventus in the Champions League on Wednesday: “It’s clear everyone wants to play. And a young player even more so. “Given the context, we want to compete right now, and it’s difficult depending on the match. “He has to be patient, be prepared, and know that he’s at Real Madrid. His time will come.” Madrid cannot allow both Garcia and Endrick to leave in the January transfer window. HAVE YOU SIGNED UP? 💫 Get the inside story first by joining our TEAMtalk Facebook channel to receive the latest breaking and exclusive news straight into your Messenger inbox. Latest Real Madrid transfer news: Florian Wirtz clue, Man City raid Meanwhile, Xabi Alonso has given a big clue on whether Real Madrid will try to sign Florian Wirtz from Liverpool by namedropping his name after the win against Juventus in the Champions League on Wednesday. Manchester City are in talks to sign one of Real Madrid’s top stars, but he is not the only option they have. And finally, Real Madrid are said to be ready to bid for a Liverpool midfielder in the January transfer window.
