Joan Garcia transfer: La Liga 'turns down' Arsenal, Man City for Barcelona switch

Espanyol goalkeeper Joan Garcia has reportedly turned down proposals from the likes of Arsenal and Manchester City in favour of a move to Barcelona.

Garcia has been attracting significant interest after proving to be one of the standout La Liga goalkeepers in the 2024-25 campaign.

As per Opta Joe, Garcia prevented more goals than any other La Liga goalkeeper and made more saves than any other shot-stopper in the top flight.

Garcia's crucial stops helped Espanyol avoid an immediate return to the second tier with a 14th-placed finish.

Unfortunately for Espanyol, they are now bracing themselves for the departure of one of their most prized assets this summer.

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Garcia turns down Arsenal, Man City

A recent report claimed that Barcelona had moved into pole position to sign the 24-year-old goalkeeper ahead of Arsenal.

According to Mundo Deportivo, Garcia has now officially made his decision to leave Espanyol for local rivals Barcelona.

The report claims that Garcia has given the green light after holding a meeting with his family and several of his representatives on Tuesday evening.

Garcia has decided to reject 'more lucrative financial proposals' from Arsenal, Man City, Newcastle United, Napoli, Inter Milan and Bayer Leverkusen.

There is also a belief that Barcelona are the only club willing to pay Garcia's €25m release clause in full, while other clubs were keen to negotiate a different payment structure.

However, Espanyol have made it clear that they are only ready to sanction the goalkeeper's departure if his release clause is paid up front.

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Garcia asks for registration guarantees

Garcia has asked for guarantees that he will not experience any registration issues at Barcelona like Dani Olmo and Pau Victor did in the 2024-25 season.

Barcelona's well-documented issues with Financial Fair Play have sometimes complicated player registrations, but they have assured Garcia that there will be no problem with his registration.

The Catalan giants will now work to finalise the formal details of the transfer before they officially unveil the goalkeeper as the newest member of Hansi Flick's squad.

Garcia's imminent arrival could pave the way for Marc-Andre ter Stegen to depart, especially as Wojciech Szczesny could sign a new deal with the club.