Real Madrid have been blessed with some stellar left backs over the years
they may just have a player who can excel at the position in the short-term and long-term
provide a more attack-minded option to the likes of Ferland Mendy and David Alaba
and combine in attack with Los Blancos’ left-sided forwards
García joined Real Madrid’s famed La Fábrica academy in 2013 from hometown side Bolaños CF
rising up the ranks for Spain and Real’s youth ranks before heading out on loan to Rayo Vallecano
After a promising start that would see him cement a starting spot under Andoni Iraola
he suffered a knee injury that looked set to keep him out for the remainder of the 2020/21 season — instead
he returned after 20 days and played a crucial role in their promotion
He returned on a permanent deal and impressed at left back as Los Franjirrojos finished 12th and reached the Copa del Rey semifinals
before chipping in two goals and three assists as Rayo placed 11th in 2022/23
convincing Real Madrid to exercise their buyback fee of €5 million and sign him on a contract until 2027
García was called up to the Spain squad for the UEFA Nations League Finals
although he failed to make his international debut as La Roja came away with the trophy
the 23-year-old exudes confidence with and without the ball
capable of bursting back and forth from box to box with a blistering speed of 36.5 km/h
This enables Rayo to win the ball higher up the pitch due in large part to his speed and positional awareness
with García’s overlapping runs allowing his teammates the freedom to cut inside and pick up dangerous positions
winning less than 0.20 aerial duels per 90
Garcia’s ability to find gaps with the ball is incredible as he wins over half of his take-ons
whilst his technical ability and speed help him to shift direction at ease
dragging opponents out of position and making it harder for them to drop deep and win the ball back
His attacking instincts pay dividends in the final third
making runs towards the box and allowing his teammates to push forward with the opposing defender occupied
García averages over 19 touches in the attacking third per 90
boasting an incredible close control and technically gifted footwork
enabling him to keep the opponent guessing and constantly serving as an outlet on the left flank
The Spaniard excels in terms of whipping crosses into the box and getting the perfect combination of height
While he does need to work on his positioning
often drifting wide and getting caught out on the counter
his recovery speed more than compensates for this
García not only contributes to the team in the final third but also plays a crucial role in moving the ball around in the build-up play
positioning himself well to help his team rotate the ball into advanced areas
he is a press-resistant fullback who is skilled at playing quick one-twos and linking up with teammates
boasting strong ball control and comfort in tight spaces and proving capable of pressing to win the second ball and help his team launch a transition
Whilst García’s attacking contributions have seen him become a revelation in Spain’s top-flight
García’s positional awareness and speed more than makes up for his lack of imposing physical stature
with the Spaniard capable of tracking back and making a clean tackle to stop a counter
registering over 50 tackles and giving away fewer than 20 fouls in the defensive third
García leaves it all on the line and is more than happy to put his body on the line
registering over 40 interceptions and ranking as one of the top defenders in Spain in this metric
he has recorded just one yellow card and zero red cards as well as 229 recoveries
Whilst there is plenty of room for improvement in terms of his aerial ability and off-the-ball positioning
winning just a quarter of his aerial duels
García should not be considered a defensive liability by any stretch
With Marcelo departing the club in 2022 and Dani Carvajal enduring a steady decline at 31 years of age
Real Madrid’s attacking threat from the fullback positions has left plenty to be desired as of late
but the arrival of Fran García has the potential to remedy this
two years after playing a vital role in Rayo Vallecano’s promotion
García has emerged as one of Spain’s top left backs thanks to his pace
whilst his solid positional awareness and recovery speed makes him a reliable defender as well
Although there’s still plenty of room for improvement
namely in aerial duels and pure physicality
Fran García has deservedly earned a recall to Los Blancos
and it shouldn’t be too long before he makes his international debut either
A low-cost alternative to the likes of Alphonso Davies and João Cancelo
García provides plenty of upside and little in terms of financial risk
Plenty of talented fullbacks like Theo Hernández and Achraf Hakimi have come and gone without making their mark at the Santiago Bernabéu
but García looks talented enough to become a valuable performer this season and refine his unique skillset under the watchful eye of Carlo Ancelotti
Featured Image: @GabFoligno / Quality Sport Images – Getty Images
Carlo Ancelotti confirms the continuity of one of his favorite players | Real Madrid Confidencial FIRST TEAM Real Madrid Confirms It
There's No Turning back and Ancelotti's Protégé StaysThe soccer player will stay in the Meringue changing room until the end of his current contract.19/01/2025 16:10:00h by Enrique Sanz
Real Madrid's doubts about the most criticized players after the Spanish Supercopa final are slowly being solved
One of the most decisive closures was experienced by Tchouaméni
initially booed by the stands at Santiago Bernabéu in the Copa del Rey game against Celta de Vigo
has made Madrid fans ease the pressure around the French stopper..
his performance against Las Palmas in a game that starts in just five minutes
Another of his compatriots was also affected by the thrashing in Jeddah
Ferland Mendy during a Real Madrid match | Real Madrid ConfidencialFerland Mendy's situation in the 24/25 season is not the best
After achieving excellent records during the 23/24 season
the executives led by Florentino Pérez considered he deserved a renewal
They extended his stay in Santiago Bernabéu changing room until mid-2027 with the hope that he would maintain the level shown during that period
Nothing could be further from the truth: the French '23' is showing his worst version both in soccer and physical aspects. Something that gives Fran García an ideal opportunity to take his starting position
Knowing that Bolaños de Calatrava's '20' aims to surpass the French winger
there are doubts about his immediate future
Rumors of a transfer away from the Spanish capital
along with the board's moves in the left-back market
The verdict issued by the white leadership is very clear: Ferland Mendy will not leave Madrid until the 2027 summer
a date that coincides with the end of his contract
The information published by the newspaper As reveals that the merengue bosses plan to keep one of Carlo Ancelotti's 'protected' players on the team
the Reggiolo coach was one of the architects of his renewal six months ago
as well as his repeated starts when his overall performance raised many doubts
Ferland Mendy gets injured against Girona | Real Madrid ConfidencialFrom Valdebebas offices
there's confidence that Ferland Mendy can overcome this 'slump' and prove why his renewal was supported. Ancelotti remains the great supporter of the French '23'
while Davide Ancelotti urges in recent training sessions to give more continuity to a surging Fran García
Not even the possibility that Alphonso Davies or Miguel Gutiérrez might sign for the Madrid team seems to change the fact that Ferland Mendy will stay in the merengue sports discipline
Ancelotti breathes a sigh of relief knowing that he will still be able to count on one of his 'favorites' until the end of his second stint as coach in Madrid
Link Copied!0DebateUFC’s rising bantamweight talent
The Latin American region has always been an excellent talent pool for the promotion
while Brazil and Mexico still remain at the echelon
the Peruvian martial arts scene is also growing stronger
and Kevin Borjas are some of the names that come to mind when speaking of devastating fighters from Peru
and Belanos is just another amazing inclusion in the mix
let us get to know our Bolanos a little more personally
starting with his ethnicity and nationality
with almost 10 million people living in the metropolitan area
Although he has never outright mentioned his ethnicity
Mestizos of mixed Amerindian and European (mostly Spanish and Italian) makeup the majority
Bolanos’ last name is a habitational name from either of two places
Bolanos de Calatrava in Ciudad Real province or Bolaños de Campos in Valladolid
it can be assumed that he’s ethnic roots also go back in Spain
A post shared by Gastón Bolaños (@dreamkiller_bolanos)
What’s your perspective on:Can Gaston Bolanos lead Peru to become a powerhouse in MMA with his 'no quit' attitude?
Gaston Bolanos has never publicly revealed which religion he follows. But, a 2019 article from MMA Fighting reveals that the Peruvian fighter’s ‘no quit’ attitude comes from their Inka roots. The Inka Empire was the largest pre-Columbian empire, particularly in Peru and Chile, so it can also be assumed that he is also influenced by the ancient roots as well.
‘The Dreamkiller’ told MMA Fighting, “But yeah, I believe Peruvians have that ‘no quit’ attitude in them and that might come from our Incan ancestors, I don’t know what it is, but we’re willing to give it all when it comes to the cage or the ring. So I believe we can truly become a powerhouse when it comes to mixed martial arts in the future.”
Other than that, as per the 2007 census, 82.83% population in Peru declared they were Catholic, and the remaining percentage is a wide distribution between other religions.
Gaston Bolanos is all set to take the next step in his professional MMA career at the UFC Des Moines, so before that, how much did you like knowing about him on a little bit personal level? Please post your thoughts in the comment box.
0 DebateWhat's Your Perspective OnCan Gaston Bolanos lead Peru to become a powerhouse in MMA with his 'no quit' attitude?
EssentiallySports is a digital-first sports media house that surfaces the best stories on America's favorite sports celebrities with a fan's perspective to 30+ M average monthly readers.
Full Spectrum Services LLP © 2025 | All Rights Reserved