Eric Garcia is set to be a Barcelona player at the end of the season. According to reports, Pep Guardiola has confirmed in the post-match conference that the Manchester City center-back Eric Garcia has finalized a deal with Barcelona for the next season.
Barcelona has been chasing Eric García for more than a year now. They had made a deal but it couldn’t be materialized in the last two windows. Eric Garcia would arrive at Barcelona as a free agent as the 20-year-old’s contract expires on June 30th.
The defender has been happy about his desire to return to Barcelona. And he is set to sign a 5-year contract he is going to accept a pay-cut to complete the move.
Hard time at Manchester City
Eric Garcia left Barcelona’s La Masia youth academy to join Manchester City in 2017. He made his debut for Pep Guardiola’s side in 2018. He became a regular during the 2019-20 season after Aymeric Laporte picked up a long-term injury. The Spaniard was impressive when given the chance to play and soon became a fan-favorite at the Etihad.
However, Eric Garcia’s involvement has been limited this season, as he has made just 10 appearances for City this season. That’s partly because Guardiola has several options to pick from John Stones, Ruben Dias, Aymeric Laporte, and Nathan Ake.
The lesser game time has affected his form following which he chose not to renew his contract and leave the club as a free agent in the summer transfer window.
Barcelona’s decision to sign Eric Garcia works well
Barcelona was after Eric Garcia for a long time and now they have finally found a common ground to bring the La Masia player back to his roots.
The signing of Eric Garcia on a free transfer could prove to be a smart piece of business for Barcelona. The defender has shown great maturity and calmness in possession at Manchester City.
The Catalans have suffered financially due to the effects of the coronavirus pandemic, therefore, they will be thrilled to sign a top-quality player without having to spend a large sum of money.
The signing of Eric Garcia would also be beneficial for Ronald Koeman as he sees the defender as a long-term replacement for Gerard Pique in the team for the upcoming seasons.
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