La Liga: Real Madrid resigns Fran Garcia

Real Madrid has resigned Fran Garcia from Rayo Vallecano to boost their squad following a wave of departures.

The 23-year-old Garcia came up through Madrid’s youth teams before joining crosstown club Rayo on loan in 2020. After helping the club to La Liga promotion, Garcia signed permanently for Rayo in July 2021.

No outfield player enjoyed as many minutes on the pitch as the former Rayo player in La Liga in the 2022-23 campaign.

The 23-year-old defender gave a nod to a four-year contract which would run till the end of June 2027. Real Madrid paid only €5 million for his services after conserving 50 percent of his rights when he joined Rayo in 2020

Announcing the signing of Fran Garcia, Real Madrid said in a statement;

“Real Madrid C. F. and Rayo Vallecano have agreed the transfer of the player Fran Garcia, who will be with the club for the next four seasons.”

Garcia now returns to the club where he began his career after an excellent season with Rayo, playing over 3,400 minutes in the season which has just finished.

He will help cover the position of left back after Marcelo left the club in 2022 and with Ferland Mendy likely to leave this summer after a campaign badly affected by injury.

When asked about Garcia in a press conference last week, Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti said the defender “has a lot of energy, he is very fast and attacks very well. He has a good profile to play in Real Madrid and he will be with us.”

Garcia is Real Madrid’s second signing for the 2023-2024 season after confirming the arrival of Jude Bellingham from Borussia Dortmund for a fee of 103 million euros plus possible add-ons.

Garcia isn’t the only player to leave Rayo this summer. Osasuna announced on Friday, June 9, that they’ve signed central defender Alejandro Catena on a free transfer.