Activity hasn't stopped at Real Madrid in recent weeks. Calls to the Valdebebas offices are daily, with many teams interested in taking players from the white club. The latest to have contacted Florentino Pérez directly is Juventus, with interest in immediately taking one of the great gems from La Fábrica.
25 million for Real Madrid
From Italy, it has been released that Juventus has put a proposal of €25 million ($27.2 million) on Real Madrid's table. They did so to immediately take the youth product Gonzalo García, who excelled in the last Club World Cup. Vlahovic's departure is imminent and they're looking to add new strikers to their attack, with the Spaniard being one of their main targets.
The response Florentino has conveyed from Real Madrid has been clear: under no circumstances. Gonzalo García will stay this season at Santiago Bernabéu, holding a first-team spot and inheriting the "9".
Recently, his contract renewal for the coming seasons was finalized, setting him a release clause that's out of the market. Juventus's proposal was €25 million ($27.2 million), while Real Madrid has valued its youth product at €1 billion ($1.09 billion). There's full trust in him and it's expected that he'll keep growing with the "seniors" under Xabi Alonso.
Gonzalo García, Spanish killer
Gonzalo García has been the big surprise of recent weeks at Real Madrid. The striker, developed at La Fábrica, has convinced Xabi Alonso, who has given him absolute trust after his good performance in the last Club World Cup.
At just 21, Gonzalo not only stays in the first team, but also inherits the "9", a symbol of the great goal scorers of the white club.
The decision to bet on Gonzalo over Endrick, a €72 million ($78.5 million) signing from Palmeiras, shows that Real Madrid firmly believes in his talent. In Valdebebas, they value his goal-scoring instinct, his ability to link up, and his winning mentality. He's the striker who's always well positioned, the one who doesn't need much to make a difference.
Xabi Alonso, who knows perfectly well what it means to succeed at Madrid, sees Gonzalo as a strategic piece to complement Kylian Mbappé. He'll be his main alternative up front, a bet for the present and future that has surprised even those outside the club.
Real Madrid is once again trusting La Fábrica to build its future, and Gonzalo García is already emerging as one of the key names of the season. With the "9" on his back, he's ready to make history at Santiago Bernabéu.