Arsenal have reached a verbal agreement on personal terms with goalkeeper target Joan Garcia, who is seen as Aaron Ramsdale’s replacement.
According to Fabrizio Romano, Arsenal have already agreed on personal terms with Joan Garcia as they anticipate Aaron Ramsdale’s departure. The Spanish goalkeeper is a target for Mikel Arteta, as work has been done in the background should their current No.2 leave before the window shuts.
Joan Garcia’s terms agreed
Arsenal know the lack of time left in this window to conjure up key deals, especially ones where they must start a search from scratch. At the same time, there is still a raft of departures expected from the club, although Aaron Ramsdale’s exit might make things tricky for Edu Gaspar and Mikel Arteta.
Ramsdale is pushing for an exit before the window shuts, as he is not keen on sitting on the Arsenal bench for another season. Regular minutes are essential for the 26-year-old, who also wants to compete in the England setup and fears losing his spot on the national side if he has to play another campaign as David Raya’s deputy.
In any case, they have done their work in the background to sufficiently replace Ramsdale, with Espanyol’s Joan Garcia as their primary target. There are still formal talks with the Spanish side pending. But Arsenal have a verbal agreement on personal terms with the 23-year-old Olympics 2024 gold medalist.
Garcia was a critical performer for Espanyol in the Segunda division, and his second-half performances for them last season helped them gain promotion to La Liga. Arsenal have worked on a deal for the Spaniard since the early days of the window, and with terms agreed with the player, they will sign him if Ramsdale leaves with no time left.
The Joan Garcia situation
Garcia’s contract at Espanyol consisted of a €25 million release clause, which has since increased to €30 million after August 15. That price could further increase to €35 million if Luis de la Fuente calls him to the Spanish national squad, although that seems a bit unlikely after his sub-par appearances at the Olympics.
Either way, Arsenal are unlikely to pay such prices for a player who barely has top-flight experience. Instead, they will try to lure him with their long-term project and an entry into English football, although they must negotiate a proper fee with Espanyol to sign the keeper.
