Joan Garcia was connected to several Premier League clubs, including Arsenal, but Barcelona seems to have won the race for the highly appreciated Spanish goalkeeper
Barcelona has agreed a deal to sign Arsenal -target Joan Garcia, who immediately becomes a member of the La Liga champions instead of going on loan. Garcia, 24, was the subject of interest of Arsenal, but the goalkeeper will now become a member of Barca with a five -year contract of local rivals Espanyol.
The title winners of Hansi Flick have agreed to pay his release clause of £ 21 million and hope that the deal will be completed next week. After Espanyol had helped La Liga relegation this season this season thanks to a series of impressive versions, Garcia was tipped for a move to the Premier League.
Arsenal, Aston Villa and Newcastle were all connected, as well as German side Bayer Leverkusen. But Barcelona quickly came forward as the front runners and it was initially suggested that he would be lent next season.
Valencia was a rumor destination because they said goodbye to Liverpool-bound Giorgi Mamardashvili. According to Sport, however, Garcia immediately goes to the Barcelona team and fights for the gloves.
That is despite the fact that club captain Marc-Andre ter Stegen returns to fitness after seven months of dismissal and Barca that offers Wojciech Szczesny a new one-year contract. The future of the former shot stopper of Arsenal Szczesny still has to be confirmed, although several reports say that the 35-year-old will expand his stay in Catalunya after he retired in September.
Garcia therefore has a tough task to become Flick's first choice, but he is determined not to sit on the couch. “All players want to play,” he told Catalunya Radio. “I played a year and a half and I want to keep doing this. I am young and that is very important.”
In the same interview, the Olympic gold medal winner revealed that his phone was 'saturated' with messages about his future. Garcia doesn't mind leaving Espanyol for their rivals.
“It would not be a problem to face Espanyol,” he told the same outlet last week. “It would also be nice to play against them. These are things that can happen, but I try to look on the positive side of things, and if it happens, I would be enthusiastic.”
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The arrival of Garcia also throws up the future of Ter Stegen in the air. The German international is not going to leave, despite reports that film would be open to sell it.
“Nobody told me about this, so I don't know the situation,” Ter Stegen said earlier this week. “I'm not worried. I know I'll be in Barcelona next year.
“If I remember correctly, and if no news has happened in the last few hours, we only have two keepers for next season, Inaki [Pena] And me. “