Michel's most gifted pupil at Girona wants to go to Madrid.

GIRONAWhile Girona is calculating a stay that has become more complicated than expected due to the poor performance of Míchel's team, agents are starting to pull strings to position themselves as best as possible for the next transfer window. Montilivi, who already experienced a stampede last summer, will have another busy few months in this regard. One name stands out above the rest: Miguel Gutiérrez.

The Madrid full-back, a key player in the successes of the last three years of the red and white team, could be facing his final months as a Girona player. His representative, Daniel Méndez, confirmed the player's intentions to leave the project in a recent interview on the podcast Mixed zone"Everyone knows what Miguel Gutiérrez wants. He's already said it loud and clear, but it's not in his hands. The best thing for everyone will happen."

Miguel's number one priority is to return to Real Madrid, the team from which he arrived in Catalonia and which still retains a significant percentage of his federation rights. The Whites also have a priority purchase option, which is increasing with each passing season. "If he returns to Madrid, we'll all be happy. If he doesn't, we should also be happy because we'll find the right solution." The defender is already aware of the interest from various European teams such as Bayern Munich and Arsenal.

The Girona side invested €4 million in the summer of his return to La Primera in 2022 for 50% of the rights to one of La Fábrica's most promising talents. And they weren't wrong. Considered one of Míchel's favorites, he has become a fixture: in that time, he has played 109 games, scored six goals, and provided nineteen assists. With a €35 million buyout clause, if Madrid wants him this summer, they'd have to pay just eight million. "Madrid has its deadlines. They know that the moment they raise their hand, everyone will stop to listen to what they have to say," Méndez adds.

Míchel's concern

Girona coach Míchel Sánchez is also worried. In an interview with the newspaper Sport, said of Gutiérrez: "We can help him by demanding things from him, but I can't control each person's future expectations. He must be mature enough to ensure that everything he's receiving doesn't distract him from his day-to-day life. There's a lot of information regarding his departure, but until this happens, he can't stop; he should be worried. his boss."

All of this comes as the Girona side are in the midst of their fight for first place in the Primera Division. On Saturday (2 p.m., Movistar LaLiga), they host Alavés, a rival in the relegation zone and seven points behind. After winning one of their last ten matches, a win would allow the Rojiblancos to breathe deeply and bolster their increasingly weak spirits. A draw would be the lesser of two evils and the only goal, and a defeat... it's best not to imagine what that would mean.

This is not the first time that Girona has suffered inflammatory statements like Méndez's, nor have they come at an extremely inopportune time given everything at stake. Last year, in the run-up to Barça's 2-0 win over Girona, which put the Rojiblancos at the top of La Liga, midfielder and oft-captain Aleix Garcia, amid rumours of a possible move to Camp Nou, said: "Obviously, I'd like to play for Barça."

Míchel was quick to admit that Aleix had been wrong. But the player later stated that he didn't regret what he'd said and wondered why he couldn't be transparent, although he did admit that the timing and the way he handled things weren't right. Now, when staying in the top flight is a sufficiently important objective to warrant his full attention, Méndez remembers what Miguel Gutiérrez's aim is. And in Girona, of course, they're pulling out their hair.