Eric Garcia reportedly wants to stay at Barcelona and fight for his place amid interest from Mikel Arteta and Arsenal.
According to Mundo Deportivo, Eric Garcia does not want to join Arsenal amid interest from the Gunners. He wants to stay put in Barcelona and fight for his place in Xavi Hernandez’s team.
Eric Garcia was a revered talent at his former club Manchester City when he started coming into Pep Guardiola’s first team. The club were keen to extend his stay and keep him for the longer term, but the defender was bent on returning to Spain, where Barcelona waited for his arrival.
The Catalans showed an early interest and ensured Garcia had his heart set on a return to Camp Nou, where he developed as a youngster. The idea was romantic in many ways, and he may have envisaged a similar career to Pique when he returned to Catalonia from Manchester many years ago.
Despite a promising start at Camp Nou, Garcia’s time has yet to go to plan. After an inconsistent first season, the defender finds himself firmly behind in the pecking order under Xavi Hernandez. The Barcelona manager prefers Jules Kounde, Ronald Araujo, and Andreas Christensen to lead the backline while also using Marcos Alonso in an unfamiliar role.
Despite the visible hits from Xavi, the club still needs to indicate the player is for sale. Many would naturally believe Barcelona could look for an opportunity owing to its financial difficulties, but that has yet to be the case with Garcia.
There is interest from Arsenal, who are in the market for a left-sided centre-back. Mikel Arteta also knows Garcia well since he coached the defender while working as an assistant at Man City. The Gunners will do business if Barcelona remains open about it.
They remain linked with several players, including potential free agent Evan Ndicka. Yet, since his Man City days, Arteta seems to rate Garcia highly and could use the opportunity to bring the defender back to England.
Garcia is not keen on a move to Arsenal or anywhere, as he intends to fight for his place at the club. The Barcelona defender wants to show his worth to Xavi and get back into the manager’s plans.
Considering everything going on at the club, one may feel Garcia may have only six months to prove his worth. If his situation remains intact, the Barcelona defender could see his name listed among those for sale. The club could make a handsome profit if they were to sell him, considering he arrived on a free transfer.
As for Arsenal, they may keep their interest open for the time being, as a chance could arrive in the summer. In January, there is no chance that Garcia will move clubs, as he still could prove his importance between now and the end of the campaign for Barcelona.
