Earlier this week, Carlo Ancelotti revealed that the Real Madrid squad was closed and thus shut down any rumours of potential arrivals or departures.
There appears to be one exception to his statement, however – Alphonso Davies.
The men in white have been in his pursuit for a long time now, and while everything seemed set to sign the player next summer, it now appears that the transfer could be brought forward.
Earlier today, in fact, word had it that Bayern Munich are willing to negotiate a price and sell the star defender this summer.
Implications on the current squad
Given the natural challenges that arrive with having multiple players for a single position, Real Madrid must look to sacrifice one of the existing left-backs should Davies arrive.
As revealed in a report by AS, it will not be Ferland Mendy but Fran Garcia who faces the axe in such a situation.
Ancelotti counts heavily on the French defender and his defensive abilities. While Garcia has not done much wrong, the manager’s pecking order makes him the best candidate to serve as the scapegoat.
A saleable asset
Garcia arrived in Madrid only in July 2023 after Real Madrid exercised their buy-back clause on him to lure him away from Rayo Vallecano.
Since his incorporation, he has done well to serve as Mendy’s backup but has not done enough to warrant a spot ahead of the Frenchman.
Last season, the 24-year-old made 25 appearances for Real Madrid in La Liga including 15 starts and recorded one goal and five assists in that process.
While his offensive numbers are better than Mendy who did not make a single goal contribution in La Liga last season, the manager appears to prefer defensive solidity especially given the presence of Vinicius Jr. and Kylian Mbappe on the wing.