Barcelona will not rule out a possible sale of 22-year-old Spanish international Eric Garcia as they target a move for Aymeric Laporte.
According to a report by Spanish outlet AS, Eric Garcia might be on borrowed time at Spotify Camp Nou. Barcelona will be open to parting ways with the 22-year-old in the summer transfer window. And the former Manchester City defender might leave if the Blaugrana can sign Aymeric Laporte.
Eric Garcia returned to Barcelona with a lot of hopes and aspirations after leaving Manchester City as a free agent. Pep Guardiola was keen on keeping the Spanish international at the Etihad. But the lure of Barcelona proved too hard to turn down for the youngster, who has been one of several arrivals on Bosman moves in the last few years.
However, the 22-year-old has struggled to establish a foothold at Camp Nou in the last two seasons. Garcia has not been consistent enough and has fallen in the pecking order following the arrival of Jules Kounde and Andreas Christensen. He has thus started only 14 of the 39 games played by Barcelona in the 2022/23 season.
Garcia’s long-term Barcelona future is thus uncertain as he battles to secure regular game time. The player’s situation at Camp Nou is not ideal, considering he has lost his spot as the first-choice centre-back for Spain. And the Spaniard will be better off leaving Barcelona for greener pastures this summer.
In addition, the Catalan giants are in the market for a centre-back, whose arrival might be detrimental to Garcia’s fortunes. Aymeric Laporte is the top target for Barcelona, with the Spanish international keen on joining them. And Laporte’s arrival might lead to another Spaniard’s exit this summer.
The 22-year-old was a target for several clubs in the January transfer window, including Arsenal. But the youngster did not want to join the Gunners, and a move never materialised. But with Barcelona in the market for a centre-back, they are open to cashing in on Garcia this summer.
A summer exit might be the best solution for both parties, with the player’s stint going nowhere. But the identities of prospective suitors are uncertain. And it will be interesting to see if Eric Garcia’s second stint with Barcelona ends this summer.
