Espanyol will insist on the €25 million release clause in Joan Garcia’s contract should clubs like Arsenal make another attempt in January.
According to Fichajes, Espanyol will continue to demand Joan Garcia’s €25 million release clause ahead of January should clubs like Arsenal attempt to sign the keeper. The Gunners are still in the market for a new keeper despite David Raya being in top form, and they did fail with an attempt to sign the Olympics 2024 gold medalist.
Espanyol are alert to the possibility of losing some of their key players in janaury, including Joan Garcia. The Olympics 2024 gold medalist was a big target for the Gunners back in the last stages of the summer window, as the North Londoners could potentially return with a new approach ahead of the January transfer window.
There is new interest from other clubs in Garcia ahead of January, with Barcelona and Real Madrid also vying for the 23-year-old. Espanyol are expected to fight for survival in the second half of the season and would ideally prefer to keep hold of players like Garcia.
The Gunners did make a late bid for the Spaniard, having recently sold Aaron Ramsdale, and were convinced Garcia wanted to join them. However, Espanyol demanded his full release clause worth €25 million and are sticking to that price point ahead of the winter transfer window.
Given they are in danger of relegation at the end of the current season, Espanyol might be forced to sell Garcia for a lot cheaper then. Hence, they are keen to maximise the valuation of their keeper in January and may give suitors a tough time in negotiations, especially Arsenal, who have already had a first-hand experience of the same.
Do Arsenal need a goalkeeper?
Mikel Arteta continues to believe in having absolute competition for places, which is not the case in the keeper’s position. Given how well David Raya has performed this season it is difficult to see which keeper can oust him off his perch, as Garcia may not be that player as of now. The Gunners are keeping tabs on other names, with Sunderland’s Anthony Patterson also a target.
On the expensive side of things, they are also interested in Atalanta’s Marco Carnesecchi, who could arrive for a lot less than his current market valuation. Overall, the Gunners are looking for a player capable of challenging Raya for the No.1 spot. However, there are big doubts about whether they will pay the €25 million that Espanyol want for Garcia.
