Barcelona have pried one of Spain's top goalkeeping talents away from Catalunya rival Espanyol with Joan García set to join in the coming days, it has been revealed.
The Catalan giants have been linked with a number of high-profile transfers this summer, most notably in forward areas, as they look to build on winning a domestic treble in Hansi Flick's first season in charge.
But reinforcements have also been sought in goal, with Barcelona now expected to pay the €25 million ($28.5 million) release clause of García, who has been a target for both Arsenal and Manchester United. Fabrizio Romano reports the 24-year-old will sign a five-year deal with Barça and that all necessary documents have already been agreed.
García's signing puts further spotlight on Marc-André ter Stegen's future given Wojciech Szczęsny is considering signing a contract extension. The Polish veteran, now 35, came out of retirement after Ter Stegen suffered a season-long injury and helped Barcelona lift La Liga, the Copa del Rey and Supercopa de España—Szczęsny even went unbeaten in La Liga.e is also 35-years-old.
García represents a long term option compared to Szczęsny and Ter Stegen, 33, with the latter likely on the move now given the now-unavoidable competition. The Espanyol goalkeeper kept eight clean sheets last season in La Liga and started every league game to accrue 3,420 minutes in between the sticks.
He'll get the chance to prove himself on a bigger stage and under a bigger spotlight given Barcelona's aspirations for repeating as domestic champions and going further in Europe.
Even if he doesn't win the starting job out of preseason, Szczęsny was more than serviceable in Hansi Flick's first season. He could be a preferred bridge option to Ter Stegen who is reportedly unhappy with the club's actions. The German keeper is under contract through 2028 despite sporting director Deco being of the mind that his future lies elsewhere.
Still, it's a major coup for Barcelona signing one of the brightest goalkeeping talents in Europe. With no Club World Cup to worry about, García gets the opportunity to impress Flick during preseason.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as ‘All Set’—Barcelona to Pay €25 Million Release Clause, Hand Out Five-Year Deal.
