FC Barcelona emerged victorious against Athletic Club on Saturday with an impressive 4–0 win at the Spotify Camp Nou. [One of the stars on the night was Eric Garcia, who put in a shift as a defensive midfielder](https://semprebarca.com/three-talking-points-as-barcelona-thrash-athletic-club-4-0/).
In the absence of Pedri and Frenkie de Jong, and with Marc Casado also suffering some discomfort, Hansi Flick needed someone to step up, and as he has done all season, Eric answered the SOS call.
The Spaniard has been in sensational form since the start of the season. Now, according to [Mundo Deportivo](https://www.mundodeportivo.com/futbol/fc-barcelona/20251124/1002574769/principio-acuerdo-renovacion-eric.html), Barcelona have reached a preliminary agreement with Eric Garcia for the player to extend his contract and commit his future to the club until 2030.
The 24-year-old is in the final year of his current deal with Barcelona. He has now emerged as a key player for Hansi Flick and deserves an extension after proving what he adds to the squad with his versatility of the highest order and quality.
Hansi Flick has never hidden his admiration for the Catalan defender and even vetoed an exit for the player last January. The German manager has since been vindicated in his decision to keep hold of Eric when a sale was on the cards.
Everything points to Eric keeping his place in Flick’s team for the rest of the season and beyond. It remains to be seen what terms the player is offered. Sooner rather than later, captaincy could also come his way. Let us wait and see how things play out.