Man Utd get exciting Kerkez boost amid Real Madrid revelation

Updated: 5 Jul 2024 16:45 BST
3 min read

Bournemouth are interested in Real Madrid left-back Fran Garcia, according to a report.

The Cherries are set for a big summer. Despite losing recruitment chief Richard Hughes to Liverpool and star defender Lloyd Kelly to Newcastle, Bournemouth are aiming to be ambitious in the market.

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And there is nothing more ambitious than signing a player from Real Madrid, albeit only a second-choice option. According to The Athletic, the South Coast side are keen on Fran Garcia, whose return to Los Blancos hasn't quite gone to plan.

With uncertainty hanging over Ferland Mendy, Real Madrid triggered their buy-back option on Garcia last summer. However, the Spaniard did not manage to supplant the Frenchman, who, on the contrary, enjoyed one of the best campaigns of his career.

Now, a year later, the 24-year-old could again be on the move, with Andoni Iraola keen to reunite with his former Rayo Vallecano protégé - and this could have an influence on the business at Man Utd.

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Season Statistics

2023/2024

31	Appearances	33
1	Goals	0
6	Assists	1

Garcia to replace Kerkez?

That is because Bournemouth's first-choice left-back is in demand. Hungary star Milos Kerkez is coming off an impressive first season in the Premier League and he even impressed at Euro 2024 despite his country floundering.

As FootballTransfers previously revealed, Kerkez is Man Utd's number-one target for the left-back position, while Chelsea also held a well-established interest in the 20-year-old, though they are now set to sign Basel talent Renato Veiga.

Arsenal, too, have been tentatively linked, but they are on the verge of signing versatile defender Riccardo Calafiori and therefore will not break the bank on Kerekz.

Indeed, the main stumbling block to a potential exit of the Hungarian is Bournemouth's valuation, with the Cherries keen to turn a sizeable profit on their €18 million investment. Man Utd, who have yet to make a significant sale as part of their ambitious plan to raise north of €200m, are currently not in a position to move for Kerkez.

However, the potential arrival of Garcia could make Bournemouth soften their stance, though signing him from Los Blancos won't be easy. It is asserted that Real Madrid won't stand in Garcia's way if he were to ask for a move, but they are not actively looking to sell him.