Barcelona’s Plan: Sign Joan García and Then Loan Him Out

Barcelona have a smart plan for Espanyol goalkeeper Joan García. They want to activate the 24-year-old’s €25 million release clause and then loan him to another team for the 2025/26 season.

WHAT HAPPENED?

Barcelona have a verbal agreement with Joan García, who currently plays for their city rivals Espanyol. They plan to sign him by paying his €25 million release clause and then loan him out to another team for one season.

Barcelona want to use their financial resources carefully due to ongoing constraints on their salary cap.

Other clubs are also interested in García, and the player has not made a final decision about his future. Arsenal, Aston Villa, Bournemouth, Bayer Leverkusen, and Napoli have all shown strong interest in him, and his choice will play a big role in deciding his next club.

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Barcelona already have Marc-André ter Stegen in their squad, who has been their first-choice goalkeeper for years. However, the 33-year-old is currently out of action due to injury.

As a result, new coach Hansi Flick has asked sporting director Deco to sign a goalkeeper in the summer. García is one of the standout performers in La Liga and has been impressive this season, drawing interest from several clubs.

Barcelona are in second place in the table, with 70 points from 35 matches. They trail leaders Real Madrid by six points as the season comes to an end.

WHAT NEXT FOR JOAN GARCÍA?

Joan García is unsure about his future plans, and representatives of the 24-year-old are considering all options available to the goalkeeper. Espanyol are resigned to losing their goalkeeper this summer, despite their supporters’ pleas to keep García.

If Espanyol were relegated this season, García’s release clause would have dropped to €15 million, but with relegation out of the picture, interested clubs will have to pay his €25 million release clause.

Barcelona are looking to sign García but could face competition from Arsenal and Aston Villa.

Bayer Leverkusen, who recently won their first Bundesliga title, are also interested in signing García. Barcelona will face Villarreal in their next match, while Espanyol will take on Real Sociedad on Sunday.