Barcelona have two methods to secure former prospect from Manchester City.
Barcelona have finalized their transfer plan for Manchester City starlet as they identify him as the long-term successor to 33-year-old Gerard Pique.
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Samuel Umtiti has had his share of injuries this season, and his performances have been inconsistent as he failed to prove himself as a reliable central defender. Meanwhile, Pique has only a few years left in him for prime football, forcing Barca to look at City’s Eric Garcia.
Garcia has been on Barcelona’s priority list since the beginning of the transfer season. The 19-year-old is a famed La Masia graduate and well aware of the Barca philosophy, and could be the perfect solution for the Catalans’ defensive issues.
The youngster has managed to quietly demonstrate his value to City and Guardiola, who has played him as part of the starting lineup for 4 matches since the restart. Barcelona sold the teenager to the English club for a mere 2 million euros, where he flourished under Pep’s guidance.
With his former employers interested in acquiring his services, its come to light that Eric has not yet renewed his contract, and could perhaps be lured back home, despite the increased wages City has promised him and Pep’s confidence that he won’t be leaving Etihad so soon.
City have Nicolas Otamendi, John Stones, and Aymeric Laporte competing against Eric Garcia for the two available center-back roles under the Spanish coach, and with the increased interest in Kalidou Koulibaly, it will only make things worse for the 19-year-old when it comes to finding regular play minutes.
1. Securing Garcia During the Transfer Window
Barcelona are confident about securing the young defender and bringing him back home. The first scenario they have envisioned is paying his transfer amount and securing him, in which case it wouldn’t be too high, with only one year left on his contract. They could also look to exchange some of their own players with the English Club, in an exchange deal, like the one proposed between Barca’s Nelson Semedo and Pep’s Joao Cancelo in order to make City let Garcia leave as well.
2. Free Transfer Next Year
A more ideal situation for the Catalans, where they wait until January to approach the youngster six-months before the contract expiration date at which point the club are allowed to secure him for free. Garcia will then move to Spain once his contract expires giving City no opportunity to make a profit on the youngster.
Which approach should Barca use to secure their former youngster?