Real Betis academy graduate Pablo Garcia has completed a €5 million move to Racing Santander on transfer deadline day. The emotional 20-year-old was seen in tears as his departure helped create room for Dani Ceballos' return.
A painful farewell on deadline day
Real Betis brought a dramatic close to the summer transfer window by confirming the sale of homegrown forward Pablo Garcia to Racing Santander. The 20-year-old attacker left the Luis del Sol Sports City in tears late on Tuesday night, ending a 15-year journey with the club he had joined at pre-benjamin level. Filmed while sitting in a car with his mother, the visibly devastated youngster still found time to send a final message of support to his boyhood side.
"Let's hope everything goes well, I wish you all the best in the Champions League," Garcia told reporters while leaving.
Helping finance Dani Ceballos' return
The unexpected exit of the Parque Alcosa-born striker was pushed through late in the afternoon in order to open up crucial salary space. Real Betis needed that financial adjustment to register Dani Ceballos successfully, with his three-year return running until 2029 requiring a wage cut to satisfy La Liga regulations. Garcia's transfer is the club's only permanent outgoing deal to have produced full profit since July 1.
The financial details of the transfer
As part of the agreement, Racing Santander acquired 50% of Garcia's federative rights for €5 million. Real Betis have also kept a share of any future transfer fee, along with a right of first refusal over the young under-21 international. During his breakthrough period with the senior team, Garcia played 33 matches and scored three goals after making his La Liga debut in January 2025.
A hectic finish to a busy summer
Garcia's departure became the emotional focal point of an intense summer transfer window for Racing Santander, who completed four signings on deadline day alone. In addition to bringing in the Betis forward, the Cantabrian side also signed left-back Aaron Martin from Genoa, as well as loan arrivals Jeanuel Belocian and Andre Almeida. With the squad now reshaped through 14 total incoming transfers, Racing must adapt quickly for the rest of the campaign.
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