Manchester City youngster Eric Garcia could finally be on the verge of a switch to Barcelona, with the defender likely to cost around €5 million.
According to the print edition of Mundo Deportivo, as relayed by SI, Eric Garcia is closing in on a switch to FC Barcelona. The report claims Manchester City have agreed to reduce their valuation of their young defender and are willing to offload him for a fee of just €5 million rather than seeing him depart Etihad for free in the summer.
As a result, Barcelona, who were initially willing to wait six months to sign Garcia in the summer, are now ready to go ahead with the deal. Unfortunately for the player, however, any potential transfer hinges on the approval of the presidential candidates amid election later this month.
Although there has been no confirmation whether the candidates would give Barca the green light to sign Garcia, it appears unlikely that anyone may object to the acquisition. As indeed, for a fee of just €5 million, the Blaugrana could be bagging a real bargain as they continue their search for a new centre-back.
A former member of the famed La Masia academy, Barcelona have been tracking Garcia for a long while now, ever since his initial breakthrough at Manchester City. The youngster has already impressed the club bosses with his ease on the ball and a positioning sense that could makes him a technically astute centre-back.
Along the way, the 20-year-old has even been linked with a move to Liverpool, which is hardly a surprise given his quality. However, Barcelona always had the upper hand due to the player’s past connections with La Masia. In fact, Garcia has publicly suggested his desire to re-join the Catalan out, in an attempt to make a breakthrough at Camp Nou.
It could be the right decision for the Manchester City defender, who has had his fair share of difficulties at the Etihad this campaign. The summer arrivals of Ruben Dias and Nathan Ake have already seen the young Spaniard fall down the pecking order. As a result, he has mustered only 200 minutes of league football so far.
A move to Barcelona, in that regard, could offer him an opportunity to become the club’s desired long-term replacement for the ageing Gerard Pique. In addition, he could realistically compete with the likes of Ronald Araujo, Oscar Mingueza and even Clement Lenglet for a place in the first-team – giving him the chance to not only prove himself but also set the ideal platform to evolve as a player.
