Joan Garcia hasn’t made a final decision on joining Barcelona, but Arsenal are seemingly withdrawing from the race amid the goalkeeper’s desire for consistent games.
BARCELONA, SPAIN - MARCH 29: Joan Garcia of RCD Espanyol looks on during the LaLiga match between RCD Espanyol de Barcelona and Atletico de Madrid at RCDE Stadium on March 29, 2025 in Barcelona, Spain. (Photo by Judit Cartiel/Getty Images)
Photo by Judit Cartiel/Getty Images
Despite recent claims that Joan Garcia has almost reached an agreement to sign for Barcelona, Matteo Moretto reports that the goalkeeper hasn’t yet made a decision on his future.
Moretto concedes that Barcelona have made significant progress with Garcia’s representatives in recent days, but adds that the possibility of a move to the Premier League remains alive.
Yet it seems like Garcia won’t be joining Arsenal, with Carlos Monfort of Jijantes FC reporting that the Gunners have pulled out of the race. The club reportedly believe €25m is too much money to spend on a goalkeeper when they already have David Raya.
BARCELONA, SPAIN - FEBRUARY 01: Joan Garcia of RCD Espanyol celebrates victory following the LaLiga match between RCD Espanyol de Barcelona and Real Madrid CF at RCDE Stadium on February 01, 2025 in Barcelona, Spain. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)
Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images
It may have been difficult to convince Garcia to join Arsenal as Raya’s backup to begin with, following comments from the goalkeeper in recent days.
“All players want to play, I’ve just started. I’ve been playing for a year and a half and I want to continue playing,” Garcia said.
“There are many factors to consider, but for me, being so young and with the desire I have, it’s very important to keep playing.”
BARCELONA, SPAIN - DECEMBER 14: Joan Garcia of RCD Espanyol reacts during the LaLiga match between RCD Espanyol de Barcelona and CA Osasuna at RCDE Stadium on December 14, 2024 in Barcelona, Spain. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)
Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images
Garcia’s release clause is currently set at €25m (£21.1m), and it will only increase to €30m (£25.3m) in the final 15 days of the transfer window.
The clause would have increased to €30m immediately if Garcia had been called up by Spain this month, but Unai Simon, David Raya, and Alex Remiro were selected instead. Conversely, the clause would have dropped to ~€15m if Espanyol were relegated, but they avoided the drop on the final day.
The goalkeeper made 38 appearances for Espanyol this season, keeping eight clean sheets. He ultimately helped them to avoid relegation from La Liga on the final day, with a number of strong performances in the run-in.
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