Barcelona are closing in on their first signing of the summer, and according to Pedri, a deal to bring in goalkeeper Joan Garcia from city rivals Espanyol is already all-but finalised.
It’s no secret that Barcelona are pushing to sign Garcia to be their new first-choice goalkeeper from next season onwards. They were very impressed with his performances for Espanyol last season, and amid interest from Arsenal, Manchester City and Newcastle United, they have moved quickly to reach an agreement with the 24-year-old.
A deal has yet to be confirmed, but it is believed to be in its final stages. And this has appeared to be made public by Pedri, who spoke on Garcia when asked by beIN Sports (via MD).
“Joan Garcia will play for the best club in the world. I wish him the best in this new stage. He has many qualities. He’s not ours yet, so I can’t tell you much yet. If he has the opportunity to come to Barcelona, I would tell him that they are the best team in the world.”
The expectation is that Barcelona will get a deal for Garcia over the line in the coming weeks. With personal terms not expected to be a problem, the La Liga champions will soon move to activate his €25m release clause, with Espanyol having no plans to negotiate with anyone – no less their bitter rivals.
Garcia’s imminent arrival will cast a lot of doubt on the future of Marc-Andre Ter Stegen, who has been Barcelona’s starting goalkeeper for a decade. Talks between him and the club are expected soon, at which point it is expected that he will be notified that he will drop down the pecking order next season.
Angelus_Yesu
21
Barça shouldn't let Ter Stegen go yet. He should stay and compete with Joan Garcia to help the team. The starting spot will then be earned by their performances and hard work during the preseason and the early stages of the season.