Real Madrid News
Fran Garcia talks Real Madrid return, Vinicius, Mendy, Carvajal, Ancelotti: “I feel proud”
Real Madrid unveiled their first signing of the summer transfer window today as Fran Garcia was presented as the club’s new #20 following his return from Rayo Vallecano.
Having left the Merengues three years ago, the 23-year-old left-back returns to the Santiago Bernabeu in a deal worth €5 million, while signing a four-year contract with the club until the summer of 2027.
At the presentation ceremony earlier today, Garcia was asked how he felt after securing a return to his boyhood club, Real Madrid. In response, the Spaniard said:
“I feel proud. I arrived here at the age of 13 and I am very happy to be here. I’ve always said it: my dream was to come back. Real Madrid is my home and I am very happy.”
“It’s a dream to return to Madrid. I’m a very sincere person. I’ve dedicated myself body and soul to the work I’ve done on the pitch to be able to be here today,” he added.
“Madrid gave me the opportunity to return. It was a very special season for me and when I had the chance to come back, the first people I called were two people who are like my family.”
Reflecting on his time at Rayo Vallecano, Garcia said: “I did my three years of military service at Rayo. As a person and as a player I have grown a lot during these three years there and I am grateful for that. I am a very consistent player and I thank Madrid for that because they instilled it in me since I arrived here.”
“[Rayo] It was the club that gave me the opportunity to take my first step as a professional and I thank them for that,” he further added.
When asked about his idols, the 23-year-old named two Real Madrid legends in the form of Marcelo and Roberto Carlos, as he said:
“I played alongside Marcelo and I’m very fond of him because he held out his hand to me. I have a special affection for Roberto Carlos because I learned from him in my first year at Castilla when I had him next to me.”
There is a lot of excitement among the fans to see Garcia operate on the left flank along with Vinicius Jr, who has now been handed the iconic #7 shirt. Talking about playing with the Brazilian, the left-back said:
“We all know the potential of Vini Jr. I will try to do my best and bring home as many titles as possible.”
On being asked whether he thought that he would never get a chance to return to Real Madrid, Garcia replied:
“I have always thought about the day-to-day, about working with respect for Rayo, for the fans, the shield, and my colleagues. This was my dream, but I am a professional. I was thinking about the day-to-day.”
Garcia, now that he has returned, will have to compete with Ferland Mendy for the left-back spot in Carlo Ancelotti’s team. Talking about the Frenchman and the competition for places, he said:
“Ferland is an incredible player, he has shown that during his time at Madrid. I’m here to do great things at the club.”
When asked if he is ready to become a starter, the defender said: “I’m not here to compete with anyone, I’m here to add to the team and the truth is that being able to come here is an incredible dream.”
On whether he has had any talks with Ancelotti, Garcia replied: “The only time was after the home game. He told me that in a month’s time, we would meet at Valdebebas and I am grateful for his words.”
Garcia had been courting interest from German club Bayer Leverkusen in January, which was one of the reasons that prompted Real Madrid to quickly trigger the buyback option. Opening up on the interest from Bundesliga, the left-back said:
“It’s true that there was interest but Madrid had the option to buy me back and I’m happy with how it all turned out.”
Talking about how he wishes to emulate Real Madrid veteran Dani Carvajal, Garcia said: “He’s a model, of course, for any player. I hope I can have the same trajectory and I want to grow here and be an important player.”
On being asked why not many academy players make it to the first-team at Real Madrid, the left-back answered: “We shouldn’t question the club’s decisions because it’s clear that it’s top of the world. The youth academy is very well looked after and yesterday’s Castilla team proves it.”
Source: Real Madrid TV
Aurelien Tchouameni has had an exciting start to his career at Real Madrid. Since joining the club for almost €80 million last summer, the young Frenchman has now become a pivotal figure in Real Madrid’s midfield unit.
However, prior to his move to Santiago Bernabeu, the midfielder was closely linked with a move to Paris Saint-Germain.
In a recent interview, Tchouameni opened up on his links to PSG but revealed his decision to join Real Madrid.
Aurelien Tchouameni on PSG links
Talking about speculations linking him to PSG, Tchouameni said (h/t Madrid Zone), “PSG? Frankly, I thought about it. It’s a very big European club, we want the French clubs to succeed.”
“But honestly, when Real Madrid calls you, it’s very complicated to say no,” Tchouameni added.
The midfielder was linked with a move to PSG during his time at AS Monaco. Les Parisiens wanted to sign the youngster as part of their plans to reinforce the midfield unit.
Tchouameni, though, ended up opting for a move to Real Madrid, which turned out to be a prudent decision from the midfielder’s end.
Tchouameni’s career at Real Madrid
Aurelien Tchouameni made a total of 50 competitive appearances during his maiden season at Real Madrid.
Although the Frenchman was not entirely a first-team regular in Carlo Ancelotti’s setup, his stature in the team is expected to grow in the coming years.
Especially as Toni Kroos and Luka Modric move on at the end of the season, there is scope for Tchouameni to become a first-team regular in the Real Madrid midfield in the years to come.
The former AS Monaco starlet has already played a crucial role in the starting eleven so far this season and it is only going to continue as the season progresses.
