Newcastle are eager to get their summer transfer business wrapped up early.
Despite Paul Mitchell departing Newcastle, leaving Eddie Howe without a Director of Football, the Magpies are ready to move for Bryan Mbeumo and Marc Guehi, with all recruitment plans set in place.
Achieving qualification for the UEFA Champions League will only aid talks with these targets.
As Newcastle target Mbeumo and Guehi from Premier League rivals in Brentford and Crystal Palace respectively, a top performer from Spain is now close to joining in the meantime.
Joan Garcia nears move to Newcastle
COPE have now provided an update on Joan Garcia – and it sounds like the Espanyol No.1 is heading to Tyneside instead of Barcelona.
Quique Iglesias told COPE’s El Partidazo: “He’s not going to play at Barca. Under no circumstances is he going to play at Barca. He’s going to sign for a Premier League team, in principle. They say Newcastle… that will be resolved soon.”
🎙️ @qiglesias, en @partidazocope
❌ "Joan García no va a jugar en el @FCBarcelona"
🇬🇧 "Va a jugar en la Premier"
📻 #PartidazoCOPE pic.twitter.com/KFB3tJsDKY
— El Partidazo de COPE (@partidazocope) May 28, 2025
It comes after Garcia had agreed a contract with Arsenal last summer as Mikel Arteta looked to find a replacement for Aaron Ramsdale who could deputise for David Raya. The Gunners ultimately took Neto on loan from Bournemouth after failing to agree a fee with Espanyol.
Now – however – the Spaniard has a €25m (£20m) release clause in his contract which is active this summer, meaning Newcastle could be about to get their hands on one of the most talented goalkeepers in Europe for a bargain fee.
Garcia kept eight clean sheets across 38 appearances in La Liga this season, helping Espanyol finish 14th.
Aston Villa will also have to look elsewhere amid Emiliano Martinez question marks
Like Arsenal, Aston Villa also want to sign Garcia amid doubts over the future of Emiliano Martinez, who has been linked to Chelsea and clubs in Saudi Arabia, so Unai Emery will have to look elsewhere if the 24-year-old glovesman does join Newcastle.
This consistency is completely 𝐈𝐍𝐒𝐀𝐍𝐄.
𝐉𝐨𝐚𝐧 𝐆𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐢́𝐚 (𝟐𝟑) is a 𝐓𝐎𝐏 𝐊𝐄𝐄𝐏𝐄𝐑 🇪🇸🧤 pic.twitter.com/wishecdakH
— Rising Stars XI (@RisingStarXI) April 24, 2025
Should the move materialise, Howe would be getting a hugely exciting successor to Nick Pope.
Diario AS in Spain have even hailed Garcia, calling the man born in Sallent de Llobregat “one of the best” stoppers around.
They wrote: “Perfect in the air, he once again demonstrated that, in the eyes of everyone except Luis de la Fuente (Manager of Spain) that he is one of the best goalkeepers in the world. Not in Europe, in the world. It’s that clear.”