The signing of Álvaro Carreras by Real Madrid is huge news for Xabi Alonso, who now has the left back he needed to get the most out of his system. The Galician has arrived to be a starter, as evidenced by the €50 million paid by the capital club to snatch him from Benfica. Among those who will undoubtedly suffer is Fran García, who, after a great Club World Cup, has seen his place in the starting lineup complicated and who knows if he will even remain at the Santiago Bernabéu.
Like Carreras, the full-back from Bolaños de Calatrava has probably enjoyed his best weeks in the United States, playing in the Club World Cup. However, the arrival of direct competition and certain reservations about his ability to consolidate this performance during the season have led Florentino Pérez to open the door to a sale, provided that Real Madrid can receive financial compensation for an important asset in its squad.
Several teams have been linked with a move for Fran García, but not all of them will be able to meet the €20 million that Real Madrid have reportedly valued the young Spanish player at. According to the website TEAMtalk, Milan could be interested in a purchase, but will have to negotiate with Real Madrid, who are not going to give away a full-back who has made a great impression in a three-center-back system like the one Xabi is looking to use.
Auction for Fran García
If someone comes close to this figure, Real Madrid may decide to sell a player who came up through its youth system and whose buyback from Rayo Vallecano cost just €5 million in the summer of 2023.
Two seasons later, the reality is that Fran García has become a good addition to the squad but by no means a regular starter, so the arrival of Álvaro Carreras and the need to fill the coffers after the significant investment in the Galician could lead to his departure. With the 2026 World Cup on the horizon and the opportunity to play for Spain up in the air,
Fran could also welcome a move to a team like Milan, a club of proven prestige that has just lost its undisputed left-back, Theo Hernández, who, despite being linked with Real Madrid and Atlético, left for Saudi Arabia to play for Al-Hilal in exchange for €25 million.
Mendy, alternative or solution
Real Madrid currently has three left-backs in its first team, with Álvaro Carreras and Fran García joined by French international Ferland Mendy, who is injured and whose physical condition is not trusted by the Madrid hierarchy. However, Mendy has a valid contract and no market value until he recovers and demonstrates consistency, so beyond an eventual and unlikely offer from Saudi Arabia or Qatar, Madrid are counting on him to remain at the club for the 2025-26 season.
That being the case, and bearing in mind that Real Madrid will not give away Fran García, the most likely option if no decent offer comes in for the La Mancha full-back is that Xabi Alonso will have to manage three left-backs this season. With the 3-5-2 system as the most likely option, both Carreras and Mendy himself, when he recovers, could play in the center of defense, adding an asset there that would alleviate the need for many to sign another center back.