According to AS , Fran Gonzalez is on the verge of joining Sevilla in a deal that will allow him to compete for the starting goalkeeper position while enabling Real Madrid to retain significant control over his future.
The 21-year-old is expected to sign a contract until 2031 , with Sevilla paying around €3 million for 50% of his economic rights.
Real Madrid will keep the remaining half of those rights and will also secure buy-back options that would allow the club to re-sign him in future transfer windows for a predetermined fee.
Born in Leon in 2005, Fran Gonzalez joined Real Madrid's academy from Cultural Leonesa in 2022.
Standing at 1.99 metres, he established himself with Castilla after earning promotion in 2024 and has since accumulated around 50 official appearances for the reserve side.
He also made his senior Real Madrid debut during the 2024-25 La Liga season when injuries to Courtois and Lunin opened the door.
On his way to Sevilla. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)
Although Madrid lost 2-1 to Valencia at the Santiago Bernabeu, the young goalkeeper was not considered at fault for either goal.
Although Jose Mourinho valued Fran as a backup option behind Thibaut Courtois and Andriy Lunin, the club ultimately respected the goalkeeper's desire to become a regular starter in La Liga.
The 21-year-old is rated very highly within the club and has even been heralded as the long-term heir to Courtois.
But an immediate spot in the senior setup was not going to open up, leading the youngster to seek a move in search of minutes at the highest level.
Respecting his wishes, Real Madrid sanctioned the move, while keeping the door open for a future return should Gonzalez develop as expected.
Real Madrid retain control over Fran Gonzalez. (Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images)
At Sevilla, Fran will compete with Odysseas Vlachodimos , the Greek international who has returned on loan from Newcastle United after an impressive spell in Andalusia.
Head coach Luis Garcia Plaza has great confidence in Fran's potential and believes he is capable of earning the starting role if given the opportunity.
If the final details are completed in the coming hours, Fran could be a Sevilla player soon and will travel to their pre-season training camp in Garderen, Netherlands.
For Real Madrid, the agreement represents another example of their increasingly common strategy: allowing promising academy players to develop elsewhere while maintaining long-term control through shared ownership and buy-back rights.
