Joan García is one of the most coveted young goalkeepers in Europe, with a number of elite clubs all over the continent targeting a move for the Espanyol goalkeeper.
Barcelona, Espanyol's bitter city rivals, are one of those teams. Reports surfaced this week of Barça's intent to sign the goalkeeper and then loan him out to another club until they're ready to move on from veteran captain Marc-André ter Stegen.
Barça face a tough battle to sign the 24-year-old goalkeeper. After being left out of Luis De La Fuente's Spain squad for the upcoming Nations League matches, García's release clause stayed put at a very appealing €25 million ($28.4 million). Arsenal are one of the many teams reportedly interested in acquiring García.
After winning the Dani Jarque award as Espanyol's player of the season, Garcia did an interview with Catalan outlet Esport3, where he gave an honest answer regarding his future.
“In the end, in football [soccer], every now and then, news are coming out, things are coming out. Until it becomes reality... it's not always like that,” García said. “I'm very relaxed, whatever has to be decided I'll surely think about it a lot with my people and choosing what's best for me, it will surely be like that.”
There's an argument to be made that García was the best goalkeeper in La Liga during 2024–25. He led Spain's top-flight with 146 saves this season, averaging almost four per game. García's stellar performances were key for Espanyol to avoid relegation in the final game of the season, where he kept his eighth clean sheet of the term in his side's 2–0 win vs. the relegated Las Palmas.
It's almost a given that García will leave Espanyol this summer. Manager Manolo González spoke about his goalkeeper after the win vs. Las Palmas, saying, “Hopefully the future ahead of him is the one he deserves.” Furthermore, García left a message for Espanyol fans after the game, with words that could be perceived as a farewell.
“The whole world knows the situation I'm in, the one the club is in. Whatever happens, if I leave, I do it proudly, leaving the team in the first division. My family will be able to keep coming to the stadium with the team in the first division and hopefully it stays like that for many years.”
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Joan Garcia Responds to Reports of Barcelona Interest.
