Anderlecht Target Santi Garcia After Saliba's Departure

Anderlecht are moving quickly to fill the hole left by Nathan Saliba’s departure to Villarreal – and their search has led them to Portugal.

Belgian outlet HLN reports that the Brussels club are exploring a move for Santi Garcia, the driving force in midfield for Gil Vicente. The Portuguese side initially set the bar high, seeking a fee north of €10m, but are now believed to be ready to negotiate slightly below that figure. Even so, Gil Vicente want this deal to go down as the most expensive sale in the club’s history.

It would cap a sharp rise for Garcia.

The midfielder came through in Spain with Getafe, but his time there never really took off. He managed just a single first-team appearance before leaving Spanish football altogether in 2024, joining Gil Vicente on a free transfer.

That move changed everything.

Garcia immediately became a fixture in the side, playing 30 matches in his first campaign and contributing four goals and two assists. Last season he kicked on again. In what was effectively his breakout year, the 24-year-old scored six times and added three assists in 34 games, evolving from a useful squad player into a genuine reference point in midfield.

Now Anderlecht, stripped of Saliba and in need of fresh energy between the lines, are weighing up whether Garcia is worth pushing the budget to the limit – and whether Gil Vicente’s record sale will be written in purple and white.