If Arsenal are serious about signing Espanyol goalkeeper Joan Garcia this summer, convincing the player might not be the issue, despite reported interest from clubs such as Barcelona.
Garcia is no stranger to Arsenal’s radar. In fact, Espanyol’s sporting director Fran Garagarza confirmed that the 24-year-old was left visibly disappointed when the club rejected a €20 million bid from the Gunners last summer.
“It was with La Liga just underway and three days before the deadline. The look on his face during that conversation almost made me feel sorry for him; I saw him as if he were my son. He was told his time would come, and it will,”
Garagarza told Mundo Deportivo.
Those words leave little doubt: Garcia wanted the move to Arsenal.
Barcelona enter the picture, but Garcia remains undecided
Now, with the summer transfer window open again, Arsenal may look to reignite their pursuit. But they will not be alone. Barcelona are reportedly exploring a move, although Garagarza has claimed he is not aware of direct contact.
According to sources, Barcelona are weighing up triggering Garcia’s €25 million release clause and believe he has “strong offers from Premier League clubs”, including Arsenal, Bournemouth, and Aston Villa.
Despite that interest, Garcia has not made a final decision. With Espanyol and Barcelona being fierce rivals, a move to Camp Nou could carry significant backlash. More importantly, there is no guarantee he would start for the Catalan side.
Garcia is understood to want guaranteed first-team football, something that might be difficult to secure at any of the top Premier League clubs. At Arsenal, that becomes especially complicated.
David Raya is fresh off a second consecutive Golden Glove award and remains Mikel Arteta’s trusted number one. Would Arsenal be prepared to bench Raya for Garcia? Or is Garcia open to playing a supporting role at first?
Arsenal must weigh the risk and reward
Financially, a deal is well within reach. But for Arsenal to win this race, they must offer a clear development path and clarity on playing time.
Bournemouth and Aston Villa could offer Garcia immediate starting opportunities, which may appeal more at this stage of his career. Arsenal’s pitch, then, must be more strategic.
Garcia is expected to be named in La Liga’s Team of the Season after playing a key role in Espanyol’s top-flight survival. Known for his commanding presence and extraordinary shot-stopping, he looks ready for the next step.
Whether that next step brings him to north London now depends on Arsenal’s ability to convince him that his future lies at the Emirates, and that he will not be watching from the bench.
What are your thoughts on Garcia joining The Arsenal?
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If Garcia wants guaranteed first team football then that is obviously not going to happen and he won’t be signing. That’s going to be the major problem when getting a back up keeper, will any decent keeper accept not playing most of the season. Might have been better to have kept Karl Hein unless of course he wanted a guarantee of playing as well.
I highly doubt he will come to sit on the bench behind Raya.
As for “competition” between GK’s, we saw how that nonsense played out between Raya and Ramsdale.
Is Hein capable of being a backup for us? Forget about looking for a top keeper; they will not be happy sitting on the bench, and it would be unwise to spend on a player largely occupying the bench for most of the season.
AR5EN4L got themselves to this point miserly acts of not being proactive ìn transfer windows; of what impact was Neto and Sterling when you could have paid Garcias release clause when he was still not demanding rather opting for a Neto and paying 49% of Sterlings wages which came to nought instead of picking up a Dembele on loan anyways we are the architects of our own misfortunes
ARSENAL got themselves to this point miserly acts of not being proactive ìn transfer windows;.
Of what impact was Neto and Sterling when you could have paid Garcias release clause ìn January, when he was still not demanding rather opting for a Neto and paying 41% of Sterlings wages which came to nought instead of picking up a Dembele on loan anyways we are the architects of our own misfortunes