Barcelona and Bayer Leverkusen have apparently entered the race for increasingly in-demand goalkeeper Joan Garciaalso linked with Arsenal and Manchester United.
The Olympic gold medallist was the subject of a failed offer from the Gunners last summer, although Espanyol director Fran Garagarza has since opened the door to a transfer at the end of the season.
Arsenal have long been considered the frontrunners to capture Garcia, who would arrive at the Emirates as David Raya‘s backup following Aaron Ramsdale‘s deadline-day switch to Southampton.
However, a recent report claimed that Man United had also shown an interest in the 23-year-old, viewing him as a possible successor to the error-strewn Andre Onan as their new number one.
Both Premier League clubs are now facing even more competition for Garcia, though, as The Mirror claims that Barcelona and Leverkusen are also in the running for his signature this summer.
Barca, Leverkusen ‘make contact’ over Garcia signing
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The outlet claims that the La Liga leaders and reigning Bundesliga champions have both made contact with Garcia’s entourage to register their interest, but Barca in particular may struggle to land him.
The goalkeeper’s current club Espanyol possess a fierce rivalry with their Catalan counterparts, meaning that Garcia could burn some bridges with his current fanbase by moving to Hansi Flick‘s side.
However, Barcelona have not thrown in the towel as they go in search of another shot-stopper to replace Wojciech Szczesnywho came out of retirement to sign a one-year deal with the Blaugrana in October following Marc-Andre Ter Stegen‘s season-ending injury.
Meanwhile, Leverkusen are planning for life without long-serving number one Lukas Hradeckywho is now 35 years of age and sees his contract expire in the summer of 2026.
In addition, Hradecky’s current deputy Matej Kovar – once of Manchester United – is supposedly also seeking an exit from the BayArena due to his desire to be a first-choice goalkeeper.
How much would Garcia cost?
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Garcia has a long-running contract at Espanyol until 2028, having last signed an extension in late 2023, and his terms also include a release clause set at a reported €30m (£24.8m).
While that price should not prove problematic for most of his suitors, Garagarza also suggested that his side could accept a slightly lower fee if it was in their best interests to sell.
Garcia played a fundamental role in helping Espanyol win promotion back to the top tier last year, but he has only kept four clean sheets from 25 La Liga appearances this season.
The 2001-born shot-stopper was selected for Spain’s triumphant Paris Olympics squad last summer, although he did not play a single minute during La Roja’s run to glory.
