Anderlecht Pursue Santi Garcia as Saliba Replacement

Anderlecht turn to Santi Garcia as Saliba replacement

Nathan Saliba is gone, snapped up by Villarreal, and Anderlecht suddenly have a hole in midfield. The Belgian side are already moving to fill it.

According to HLN, Anderlecht have set their sights on Santi Garcia, the energetic midfielder currently at Portuguese club Gil Vicente. Talks are exploratory, but the profile is clear: a young, dynamic central player coming off a breakout season and ready for a bigger stage.

Gil Vicente are not inclined to let him go cheaply. The Portuguese club initially pushed for a fee north of €10m and still want a figure close to that mark, though they are now believed to be open to slightly less. Even at a reduced price, they are targeting a record deal, hoping Garcia becomes the most expensive outgoing transfer in the club’s history.

It would cap a rapid rise.

Garcia came through in Spain at Getafe, training with the first team but managing just a single senior appearance. In 2024 he left Spanish football altogether, joining Gil Vicente on a free transfer. That move changed everything.

He immediately became a fixture in the side, playing 30 games in his first campaign and contributing four goals and two assists. Last season he went up a level. Across 34 matches, the 24-year-old midfielder struck six times and added three assists, numbers that turned heads well beyond Portugal.

Now Anderlecht, forced into action by Saliba’s departure, are testing how high Gil Vicente’s resolve — and price tag — really are.