RSC Anderlecht is on the verge of signing midfielder Santi Garcia from Gil Vicente. The clubs are close to an agreement for a transfer fee around €8 million.
The 24-year-old Spaniard is said to have a personal agreement with the Brussels club. His absence from Gil Vicente's squad against Famalicão is seen as a strong indicator the move is imminent. If completed, Garcia would become Anderlecht's most expensive signing since the club paid €8 million for defender Bubacarr Sanneh in 2018. The club record remains the €11 million paid for Nicolae Stanciu in 2016.
The arrival of Santi Garcia would be a significant reinforcement for Anderlecht's midfield. The club currently sits tenth in the Jupiler Pro League with 3 points from two matches. They have scored 2 goals and conceded 2. The signing fits a broader strategy to strengthen the squad for the months ahead. The next fixture is a home match against Zulte Waregem on September 19th, an opponent currently in fourth place.
The deal with Portuguese side Gil Vicente also includes a 20 percent sell-on clause for the selling club. Earlier this season, Gil Vicente was demanding more than €10 million for the player. Negotiations have therefore led to a lower fee. Fans can always view the current squad on our squad page.
While Anderlecht works to bring in Garcia, another midfielder is departing. Twenty-one-year-old Dutchman Cedric Hatenboer is moving to Sparta Rotterdam. Hatenboer did not play any official matches for the first team and was loaned to Telstar last season. There is also movement at a rival. Union SG is showing interest in 21-year-old Argentine attacker Dylan Aquino from Club Atlético Lanús. A fee of around €5 million would be required, but that deal is not yet final. Mohammed Fuseini appears to be leaving Union, as he was absent from the squad against Anderlecht.
The context for this transfer activity is the current season. Anderlecht had a mixed start with a win and a loss. In the standings, they are nine points behind leaders Charleroi. It's clear there is work to do to close that gap. The defence, which has conceded two goals so far, will also be under scrutiny.
Transfer activity is not limited to Anderlecht. Liverpool has shown concrete interest in 18-year-old Genk goalkeeper Lucca Brughmans. The English club sees him as a potential replacement for Giorgi Mamardashvili, who is close to a move to Nottingham Forest. Genk has not yet received an official bid. Brughmans became the starting goalkeeper for Genk during last season's playoffs. The English transfer window closes on September 1st.
Meanwhile, Racing Genk has also brought in reinforcements. Twenty-three-year-old Bosnian international Benjamin Tahirovic has officially joined on loan from Brøndby IF. Genk has a purchase option for four additional seasons. Tahirovic previously played for Roma and Ajax. About his move, he said: "Ik ben heel blij met deze stap naar KRC Genk. Dit is een club met ambitie." Defender Christiaan Ravych is also transferring from Cercle Brugge to Genk for a fee of €3.2 million. He will undergo medical tests soon.
Anderlecht's focus now is on finalising the Santi Garcia transfer and preparing for the home match against Zulte Waregem. The club hopes new signings will improve results and cut into the nine-point deficit to the leaders. The current league table can be followed on our standings page.
