In August 2026, the Club announced the signing of Gonzalo García from Real Madrid for an undisclosed fee. The highly rated striker signed a five-year deal, tying him to Craven Cottage until the summer of 2031, with a Club option to extend by a further 12 months.

Born in Madrid, Gonzalo has spent much of his life in the Spanish capital, joining Real’s academy at the age of 10. He would later spend a solitary season in the Mallorca youth setup, before returning to Real in 2019.

It was back in Madrid where he began working with Álvaro Arbeloa, who helped the youngster take his game to a new level, most notably in 2023/24 when Gonzalo’s 35 goals helped the Under-19s secure a historic treble.

The following year, Gonzalo was up with Castilla for another prolific campaign in which he registered 29 goal involvements (25G, 4A) in 36 appearances – numbers that are all the more impressive when you consider 19 of those involvements came while operating on either the left or right wing.

That season also brought about his first goal for the senior Real Madrid side – a late winner against Leganes in the Copa del Rey – before a summer which catapulted him to new levels courtesy of his performances in the FIFA Club World Cup.

Los Blancos may have exited the tournament at the Semi-Final stage, but that didn’t stop Gonzalo from claiming the golden boot, scoring four times and assisting once more in the United States. It was form that led then-coach Xabi Alonso to compare him to club legend Raúl.

Gonzalo was now firmly in the first team picture at the Bernabéu, scoring eight times and laying on three assists in 39 appearances for the Spanish giants in 2025/26 – the latter half of which were back under Arbeloa.

The highlight of his campaign must surely have been the 5-1 victory over Real Betis. Not only did he net a perfect hat-trick, but the calibre of the treble perfectly encapsulated the different types of finish he’s capable of – one header, one chest and volley, one deft flick.

His form saw Gonzalo push himself into the thinking for the national side ahead of the 2026 World Cup. He didn’t quite make the final squad, but was handed a senior debut in one of their warm-up fixtures.

Prior to that, Gonzalo had scored six times in seven caps for Spain Under-21s, for whom he wore seven on his back – the same number he adopted here at Craven Cottage.