Barcelona To Battle Arsenal For Espanyol's Olympic Gold Medalist Goalkeeper

Written by Oluwadamilola Olaleye

Joan Garcia could very well be on the move in the summer with Arsenal who have long registered interest in his acquisition set to come back at the end of the season but they will have to battle it out with Barcelona who view the Espanyol’s shot-stopper as a long term replacement for Mar Ter Stegen.

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Barcelona is actively engaged in a strategic assessment of their goalkeeping department, prioritizing long-term stability and future reinforcement. While a definitive decision regarding a summer transfer remains pending, the club’s scouting network has identified a selection of promising goalkeepers.

Among the potential candidates under consideration, Joan Garcia, the highly-regarded goalkeeper from RCD Espanyol has emerged as a particularly attractive prospect. Barcelona holds Garcia in high esteem, recognizing his potential to provide significant depth and quality. He is viewed as a viable option to bolster their goalkeeping ranks should the club ultimately decide to pursue a new signing during the summer transfer window but they aren’t the only club interested.

Last summer, Joan Garcia’s attracted significant interest from Arsenal who made a concrete offer of €20 million. However, RCD Espanyol, determined to retain their prized goalkeeper, decisively rejected the bid, directing the Gunners to Garcia’s release clause.

This clause, currently set at €25 million, includes a dynamic structure: it increases by €5 million within the final 15 days of the transfer window and will further escalate by €5 million if Garcia receives a senior international cap for Spain.

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Espanyol’s position is further complicated by the potential interest from their bitter rivals, FC Barcelona. The club would undoubtedly exert every effort to prevent Garcia’s transfer to their Catalan adversaries as per Sport. Should Barcelona pursue Garcia, Espanyol would likely insist on full payment of the release clause upfront.

This financial demand, coupled with Barcelona’s ongoing challenges with La Liga’s salary cap would likely render a deal prohibitively expensive. It is important to clarify that Barcelona has to date not made any concrete move to acquire Garcia but Arsenal have which gives them an edge. Their interest is limited to an acknowledgement and tracking of his performances.

Despite Espanyol’s firm stance, Arsenal have maintained a persistent interest, engaging in extensive dialogue with Garcia’s representatives for nearly a year, fueling speculation of a renewed pursuit in the upcoming transfer window.

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