After months of speculation of will he or won’t be, Barcelona are set to sign Eric Garcia from Manchester City.
According to Mundo Deportivo, the plan is for the Catalan side to announce him after the Champions League final.
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The center back is set to be Barcelona’s first signing of Laporta’s second reign.
The Spanish international is a player the club had been chasing before the start of the season.
When the first attempt failed, they went back for him during the winter transfer window but with similar results.
During the lead up to the Barcelona presidential elections, interim president Carles Tusquets met with Joan Laporta, Victor Font and Toni Freixa to discuss whether or not they would spend what was necessary to sign Garcia.
However, the consensus was to wait until the player’s contract ran down. The rationale was that it seemed irresponsible, given the club’s financial shape, to pay a transfer fee when he could arrive on a free in the summer.
Another roadblock that the negotiations hit was the terms of a pre-agreed deal changed. The terms of the new offer were lower than the one already established.
Despite the changes, Garcia didn’t waver from his desire to join his former club but it was clear there was work to be done as he wanted his commitment to join valued by Barcelona.
His decision not to renew with City has had repercussions. He’s all but disappeared in the eyes of Pep Guardiola. The last time he played in the Premier League was back in March 13.
Eric Garcia has signed his pre-contract until June 2026 with Barcelona since December. No other club has been in talks - Eric only wanted to join Barça, Laporta also approved the deal and it’s gonna be announced at the end of the season. 🔵🔴 #FCB #MCFC https://t.co/DTuYHMK1nV
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) May 11, 2021
Manchester City are one of the finalists set to take part in the Champions League. Having featured in games in the group stage, Eric Garcia could end his City tenure as a Champions League winner.
Garcia also wanted his move made official before the start of the Euros as he didn’t want that hanging over his head and becoming a possible distraction.
In the end, the club got their man and, by all accounts, a promising young center back. With Oscar Mingueza, Ronald Araujo and soon-to-be Garcia, Barca look to be well covered in defense for years to come.