La Liga 2024/25 has almost come to its close with just one game left to go for FC Barcelona against Athletic Club at the San Mames. With nothing to gain out of the game for either team, there isn’t much to look forward to.
Attention and focus has already shifted to the future, with contract renewals and transfer dealings taking prominence. Barcelona sporting director Deco needs to identify the correct targets in accordance with Hansi Flick and see if the club can make a move for them.
Exits-wise, there has been movement in the past few days. Alex Valle spent last season on loan at Celtic and then at Como and it is the Italian club that has made his move permanent. Apart from this, AS Monaco are also in negotiations with the Catalan club for Ansu Fati.
BARCELONA, SPAIN - AUGUST 12: Ansu Fati of FC Barcelona looks on prior to the Joan Gamper Trophy match between FC Barcelona and AS Monaco at Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys on August 12, 2024 in Barcelona, Spain.
Ansu Fati looks set to leave the club. (Photo by Eric Alonso/Getty Images)
It looks like the fire is just getting ignited in terms of incomings. Fabrizio Romano has confirmed recently that Espanyol shot-stopper Joan Garcia is on Barcelona’s radar following his impressive displays for a side that almost got relegated.
If not for the 24-year-old Spaniard’s exploits this season, there is almost no doubt that Espanyol would have gone down to the Segunda. Joan Garcia has almost single-handedly managed to keep them up for another season in the top-flight.
The elephant in the room
First things first, it is important to address the elephant in the room. Barcelona and Espanyol have no love for one another and the Catalan club signing Garcia would have the same kind of impact at the RCDE stadium as was the situation at Camp Nou when Luis Figo joined Real Madrid.
Sporting-wise, the two Catalan clubs cannot be further of in terms of the gulf of class. Barcelona are team that consistently compete for La Liga and find themselves in the latter stages of the Champions League, whereas Espanyol have been see-sawing between the second division and first division for some time now.
🚨 Barcelona are among several clubs keen on signing Joan García after his excellent season at Espanyol.
There’s concrete interest as @ffpolo reports, he’s on the shortlist but more clubs are keen on the goalkeeper.
Premier League and Bundesliga clubs are also in the race. 👀 pic.twitter.com/l8weC50Xdw
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) May 25, 2025
Irrespective of that, however, an Espanyol player directly moving to Barcelona is set to come with its own share of unrest. As good as Garcia is, this could also play a role in influencing his desire on whether or not to move to the Spotify Camp Nou next season.
Within minutes, Joan Garcia would go from being a hero at the RCDE stadium to a complete villain. His visits to that ground in the future will be hostile, to put it kindly and it is not something the player might want to find himself in, especially when interest in him is plenty.
Joan Garcia’s season in numbers
While much of the spotlight in La Liga falls on attacking flair, Joan Garcia has quietly emerged as one of the most effective goalkeepers in Spain. The 24-year-old Espanyol shot-stopper has put up numbers that place him among the elite, and they speak volumes. [Source: DataMB]
Joan Garcia's season in numbers. (Source: DataMB)
Joan Garcia’s season in numbers. (Source: DataMB)
Shot-stopping stands out:
Among La Liga goalkeepers, Joan Garcia ranks:
1st in total saves
1st in aerial duels won
2nd in shots conceded
5th in goals prevented
6th in save percentage
6th in expected goals conceded
Sweeper-keeper profile:
Garcia excels at more than just shot-saving, he’s proactive in high lines, which is non-negotiable in a Hansi Flick team. He ranks:
2nd in line exits
3rd in possessions won
3rd in interceptions
His aggressive positioning makes him ideal for teams that defend high and require anticipation off the line, which is a Barcelona hallmark.
Ball-playing keeper?
While still refining his distribution, Garcia’s passing metrics show promise:
7th in progressive pass accuracy
8th in long pass accuracy
9th in through passes
11th in pass completion %, short pass completion %, and passes into the final third
12th–13th in progressive passes, long passes completed, and defensive duels won
Clearly, the numbers suggest he’s not yet at the elite level with the ball, but he’s improving and clearly capable of operating in a build-from-the-back system. It must also be remembered that a lot depends on the style of football Espanyol play and these ball-playing numbers could look different at a club like Barcelona.
Comparing Garcia to Ter Stegen and Pena
Comparing Joan Garcia to Marc-Andre Ter Stegen and Inaki Pena. (Source: DataMB)
Comparing Joan Garcia to Marc-Andre Ter Stegen and Inaki Pena. (Source: DataMB)
To assess Joan Garcia’s suitability for FC Barcelona, it’s essential to look at how he stacks up against the club’s existing options: Marc-Andre ter Stegen and Inaki Pena. The data below, from DataMB, paints a clear picture, using Ter Stegen’s 2023/24 season as the benchmark due to his reduced role in 2024/25.
Garcia ranks among the best in La Liga when it comes to defensive actions outside the box. He’s in the 92nd percentile for defensive actions, 98th for aerials, and 95th for line exits, significantly outperforming both Pena and Ter Stegen in this area.
Where the 24-year-old truly stands out is in goals saved above expected (PSxG–GA). He is in the 76.2th percentile, which is better than Ter Stegen’s strong 70.9 from last season and far above Pena’s 59.4. He also led La Liga in total saves in 2024/25, combining volume with effectiveness, a strong indicator of reliability under pressure.
One area where Garcia still trails the Barcelona standard is his distribution and passing. However, it could be a consequence of the style of play that Espanyol deploy and not necessarily a reflection of his abilities on the ball.
At just 24, Garcia has already logged over 3,600 minutes this season. The numbers show how good he has been throughout this campaign and he is only bound to keep getting better as the seasons continue to progress.
BARCELONA, SPAIN - MAY 24: Joan Garcia of RCD Espanyol kisses his badge following the LaLiga match between RCD Espanyol de Barcelona and UD Las Palmas at RCDE Stadium on May 24, 2025 in Barcelona, Spain.
Joan Garcia kissed the Espanyol crest after Espanyol survive relegation. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)
How does this affect the goalkeeping dynamics at Barcelona
The current Barcelona first team has three contenders: Marc-Andre Ter Stegen, who is the club captain, Polish veteran Wojciech Szczesny who was brought in as an emergency replacement and Inaki Pena, the La Masia graduate.
Among these, it almost looks certain that Pena would leave this summer. The 26-year-old seemingly fell out-of-favour under Hansi Flick overnight and he needs to move to a club where he will be a guaranteed number one.
Szczesny, meanwhile, has had a brilliant impact since coming to the club, but his contract expires at the end of the current season. Barcelona have offered him a new deal and the player has not responded yet. The fact that they are pushing for a new goalkeeper though might suggest that the Pole might not be staying.
Finally, coming to the trickiest one – Ter Stegen. The 33-year-old club captain has looked a pale shadow of his former self over the past couple of seasons and might be past his best. Thus, it would be a risky ploy to go into a new season with the German as the number one.
Joan Garcia has the talent, mentality, and statistical backing to be a long-term No. 1 for a club like Barcelona. Howerver, this move is about more than just football, it’s about stepping into a heated rivalry, dealing with the weight of expectations, and potentially inheriting the gloves from a club legend.
If Deco and Flick make this happen, it would not just be a savvy footballing move—it could mark the beginning of a generational shift between the posts at Camp Nou. The only question that remains: will Garcia take the leap?