Arsenal will reportedly look to sign 22-year-old Barcelona defender Eric Garcia to replace the injury-stricken Jurren Timber.
According to a report by Spanish outlet Football Transfers, Eric Garcia is the subject of interest from Arsenal. And the Gunners are working on a loan deal to sign the 22-year-old Barcelona defender. The former Manchester City player will temporarily replace the injury-stricken Jurrien Timber.
Eric Garcia would not have fulfilled his expectations after rejoining Barcelona in a Bosman move in July 2021. The Spanish international burnt bridges at Manchester City by leaving as a free agent despite Pep Guardiola’s insistence to keep him at the Etihad.
But the move to Barcelona has not worked out for the 22-year-old, as he is not a regular for the Blaugrana. And the arrival of Andreas Christensen, Jules Kounde, and Inigo Martinez has pushed him down the pecking order. The youngster has thus managed only 11 minutes of game time this season.
With Garcia at the bottom of the pecking order for centre-backs at the Catalan club, his future is uncertain. And recent reports have linked him with clubs in La Liga and Serie A. But a move to Arsenal might be on the cards for the out-of-favour Barcelona defender in the final days of the summer transfer window.
The Gunners have been infamous for raiding Manchester City for players in the last 12 months. Arsenal even showed interest in Aymeric Laporte and Joao Cancelo this summer. But while the former has moved to Al-Nassr, the latter is on the cusp of joining Barcelona. And Arsenal can now indirectly continue the links with Manchester City through Eric Garcia.
The 22-year-old has been on Arsenal’s radar for a long time. And with Jurrien Timber suffering a long-term knee injury, signing a centre-back makes sense for Arsenal. In addition, Garcia’s abilities on the ball make him an appealing target for the North London club.
Recent reports have also linked Arsenal with Perr Schuurs. And it will be interesting to see if they sign a centre-back to replace the injury-stricken Timber in the coming week. But time is running out for Arsenal to make the final touches to the first-team squad.
