Manchester City center-back Eric Garcia is expected to join Barcelona as a free agent once his contract expires this summer.
It was revealed last summer that Garcia had rejected the possibility of signing a new contract with City because he was keen to move to Camp Nou, where Barcelona have been trying to sign him ever since.
The Spanish side failed to secure a deal at the time, but remained open to doing business in January if City were willing to lower the asking price – something Pep Guardiola has consistently refused to do.
All that’s needed is a transfer fee agreement Fabrizio Romano again pointed out that Garcia had already made personal terms with Barcelona, and this is just one case of when rather than if.
Guardiola was asked about Garcia’s future at a press conference on Friday, but as he always has, he suggested that City would try to turn down any offers to sell the 20-year-old this month, although he was not as final as him. been in the past.
“I hope not, but maybe Barcelona know it better than I do,” he said when asked if a deal was going to happen. “I don’t know what’s going to happen, but maybe it will.”
Guardiola has been reluctant to offload Garcia this season as he wants the Spaniard to stay and serve as a cover for his regular starters, despite refusing to sell will cost City money.
Garcia is generally fifth in the pecking order behind John Stones, Ruben Dias, Aymeric Laporte and Nathan Ake, but the latter two have been ruled out from injuries in recent weeks. Ordinarily, this would have opened the door for Garcia, but injuries and illnesses have kept him out since early December.
However, Guardiola clearly believes that keeping another senior center-back at the club has its merits, and he has urged the club to reject Barcelona’s advances, but it could all come down to how hard Ronald Koeman’s side are pushing for the ‘agreement.
Barcelona are only expected to do real business after their presidential elections, which will be held on January 24.
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