Transfer expert Nicolo Schira says Eric Garcia has ‘decided to leave’ Manchester City this summer and is in ‘advanced talks’ with Barcelona. The Catalan giants have ‘met (his) agent’ and want to agree a five-year deal, but there is a dispute over how much the contract should be worth.
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Garcia joined City from Barca in 2017 and has made 25 appearances for the U18s, nine appearances for the U19s, 16 appearances for the U23s and 33 appearances for the first-team. He’s not managed to nail down a regular starting place at senior level, however, so few could blame him for wanting out.
This season, the 20-year-old finds himself behind Ruben Dias, John Stones, Aymeric Laporte and Nathan Ake in the pecking order, so he’s left with no choice but to seek first-team football elsewhere. Barca are cash-strapped from the pandemic and need cheap solutions to bolster their squad, so Garcia fits the bill.
Pep Guardiola rates the Spanish international highly and believes he’s a top defender, so the City boss has endorsed Garcia even if he can’t give him the minutes he craves. City’s loss may be Barcelona’s gain.