Mikel Arteta is eyeing a reunion with Eric Garcia as the Spaniard continues to avoid signing a new Manchester City deal, according to The Sun.
City wants to tie the La Masia graduate to a new deal, but a lack of consistent opportunities at the Etihad has seen him turn down their contract offer.
The defender wants a return to Barcelona and the Spaniards want him back as well, however, their finances have been wrecked by the coronavirus pandemic.
His is out of a contract next summer, Barcelona wanted to sign him in the last transfer window, but they couldn’t stomp up the £13.5 million that City wanted.
They are unlikely to still pay for his signature in the January transfer window as well, and the report says this has opened the door for them to lose him to Arsenal.
Arteta worked with him for more than three years as the assistant manager of Manchester City and the Spaniard wants to bring him to the Emirates.
Arsenal will, however, struggle to bring him in next month because they already have a surplus of centre backs.
Next summer, the likes of David Luiz and Sokratis Papastathopoulos will be out of a contract, so they would leave space in the team and on the club’s wage bill for a new signing.
Wonder if this is the reason Saliba can’t get any playing time; Arteta has eyes for this kid.
I don’t know anything about him honestly, does anyone rate him? City fans don’t seem too fussed if he leaves.
City fan here, Eric’s a really nice player with great touch and calmness on the ball but he’s quite small and doesn’t have much pace. Most times he compensates for lack of pace with good reading of the game and good awareness but a good speedy forward can get at him. He’s very young though, and will definitely get better. Guardiola wants him to stay and I think he’s played more games than Stones this season. City fans see Laporte and Dias as the favoured pairing at the back plus Stones, Garcia and Harwood Bellis, another youngster, all capable of first team football.
Well next summer we will “lose” Luiz, Mustafi and Sokratis. And I believe one of Holding/Chambers will depart as well.
So we’re left with Gabriel, Mari, Saliba, Mavropanos, Hold/Chamb. If Garcia is free, I dont mind. He is homegrown too.
He is barely six feet and he is not quick.No thank you.
You could say the same about Puyol.
This is where Arteta proves to be a novice. Signing someone on basis of intangible quality. Saliba was a brilliant kid the whole Europe knew and wanted and our club managed to get him. Now because of Luiz and Edu’s insistence Saliba is not played when our club needs him.
We have also a Nigerian kid born in NY whose contract end next summer. He gets no games inspire of being topnotch. Who did’nt see him yesterday when he assisted 1 goal and scored another. Balogun is the name and he is a pure gem. Yet now Arteta want to sign other players. Why not use what you already have?
agree 100% he wants to keep on buying and buying instead of building solid squad from what he has
doesnt mak sense at all