With the summer transfer window on the horizon, FC Barcelona have seemingly identified the goalkeeping position as one to bolster with an eye on the future.
RCD Espanyol shot-stopper Joan Garcia, to that end, has been identified as a key target, after his heroic season in La Liga.
The plan is for Barça to activate his €25 million release clause and either bring him to the club immediately or loan him out for a season if both Marc-Andre ter Stegen and Wojciech Szczesny stay at the club.
Joan Garcia does not want Barcelona
However, in a devastating blow to their plans, journalist Matteo Moretto now reports that Joan Garcia is not too keen on joining Barcelona in the summer transfer window.
The 24-year-old ace has already communicated the same to his club Espanyol. Instead, the Spanish goalkeeper prefers a transfer to the Premier League, where he has no shortage of suitors.
Garcia does not want to join Barcelona. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)
Garcia’s release clause remains intact at €25 million after he was not called up to the Spain squad by Luis de la Fuente earlier today.
Given his age, exceptional quality, and top performances this season, Barcelona see him as too good a market opportunity to pass up.
In fact, there have been talks with Valencia about potentially loaning him out next season should the Catalans be successful in signing him from Espanyol.
However, it appears that Garcia is not open to the idea of switching to his current club’s arch-rivals and would instead prefer to move to England this summer.
As such, it appears unlikely that Barcelona will sign Garcia in the upcoming transfer window. It will be interesting to see how this affects their plans to strengthen the goalkeeping position.