Anderlecht Pursue Santi Garcia as Saliba Successor

Anderlecht did not wait long to react to the loss of Nathan Saliba. With the Canadian midfielder gone to Villarreal, the Brussels club have turned their attention to Portugal and to one of the Liga’s more quietly efficient performers: Santi Garcia of Gil Vicente.

According to HLN, Anderlecht are exploring a move for the 24-year-old midfielder, who has rapidly become one of Gil Vicente’s key assets. The Portuguese club initially set the bar high, seeking a fee in excess of €10m. That stance has softened slightly, but the ambition remains the same: they want Garcia to become the most expensive outgoing transfer in the club’s history.

This is not a one-season wonder plucked from obscurity. Garcia’s path has been slower, more rugged. Formed in Spain, he came through at Getafe and reached the fringes of the first team, but only managed a single senior appearance. In 2024, with opportunities limited and his development stalling, he walked away from Spanish football and joined Gil Vicente on a free transfer.

That decision changed everything.

Garcia settled immediately in Portugal. In his first season he became a regular, racking up 30 appearances with four goals and two assists. Numbers that do not shout, but they do convince. Coaches trust players who show up every week and affect games in different ways.

Then came last season, the real leap. Garcia stepped up from solid performer to standout midfielder, delivering six goals and three assists in 34 games. The output rose, the influence grew, and with it, the attention from abroad.

For Anderlecht, still reshaping their midfield after Saliba’s departure, Garcia fits a clear profile: in his mid‑20s, proven at a competitive level, technically schooled in Spain, hardened in Portugal. Gil Vicente know exactly what they have and are determined to cash in at a historic level for the club.

The price will decide everything. But if Anderlecht choose to push, they will not just be buying numbers. They will be buying a midfielder who has already shown he can restart his career once and turn a free transfer into a potential record sale.