Explained: Why Real Madrid are not keen on selling young striker amid Premier League interest

Explained: Why Real Madrid are not keen on selling young striker amid Premier League interest

class="wp-block-paragraph">The Real Madrid squad is set to undergo some major changes next season, especially in the defensive unit with the club bringing in the likes of Ibrahima Konate, Marc Cucurella and Denzel Dumfries this summer.

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class="wp-block-paragraph">But even in attack, there could be changes following the return of Endrick after a successful loan spell at Lyon during the backend of last season.

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class="wp-block-paragraph">The prospect of Endrick’s return has put pressure on the future of Gonzalo Garcia, who has been linked with a move to Fulham recently.

Real Madrid are not willing to sell Garcia

class="wp-block-paragraph">Real Madrid, though, are not entirely sure about parting ways with Garcia this summer, even on a loan deal.

Real Madrid are not selling Gonzalo Garcia, at least for now. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)

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class="wp-block-paragraph">Journalist Arancha Rodriguez on COPE has explained Real Madrid’s reasoning. It appears the club’s reluctance to part with the young striker has little to do with his standing in the pecking order and everything to do with UEFA’s registration rules for the Champions League.

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class="wp-block-paragraph">Clubs are permitted to register a maximum of 25 players for the competition, with eight of those places reserved for locally trained players.

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class="wp-block-paragraph">Of that group, four must have come through the club’s own academy, and it is here that Garcia becomes genuinely valuable.

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class="wp-block-paragraph">As a product of La Fabrica, the forward helps Real Madrid satisfy that requirement without occupying one of the more coveted open slots.

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class="wp-block-paragraph">With the squad being reshaped so heavily this summer and several academy graduates already linked with exits, the club are treating the idea of losing another homegrown option with real caution.

Gonzalo Garcia’s long-term future is not guaranteed. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)

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class="wp-block-paragraph">Cucurella’s arrival also viewed internally as helpful in easing the pressure on those quota places.

Exit not ruled out at a later time

class="wp-block-paragraph">That said, Garcia’s long-term future at the Bernabeu is far from guaranteed, and a departure has not been dismissed entirely.

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class="wp-block-paragraph">Should Real Madrid add further players who qualify under the locally trained criteria, the club would enjoy considerably more flexibility, and that could open the door for Garcia to move on at a later stage.

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class="wp-block-paragraph">Jose Mourinho is also expected to assess the striker throughout pre-season before forming his own judgement, meaning much may depend on how convincing Garcia is over the coming weeks.