Mundo Deportivo reported on Monday that Barcelona’s humiliating 8-2 defeat to Bayern Munich will not have any impact on their efforts to sign Manchester City’s Eric García.
It was earlier suggested the two clubs will resume negotiations for the 19-year-old after they finished their Champions League campaigns.
Sport now claim the directors of the two clubs ‘coincided’ in Lisbon, and they had agreed to continue discussions after the European competition.
It’s claimed Eric Abidal’s exit and Ronald Koeman’s impending arrival at Barca will not have any impact on García negotiations because Ramón Planes is personally handling this case.
García, who has a contract until 2021, has informed the Citizens he will not sign an extension.
Sport explain ‘it won’t be easy’ for Barca, but they are aware City are not keen to see the defender leave for nothing in 2021 and, therefore, Pep Guardiola’s side must do their bit for the deal to be concluded in this window.
City are demanding €23m plus €12m in variables to sanction the teenager’s sale. The report states the Spanish side have no intention of meeting this price, considering García is in his final year of contract at the Etihad.
A swap deal involving García, João Cancelo and Nélson Semedo could possibly be on the cards.
Should this happen, then it remains to be seen if either of clubs need to pay a fee or if it be just a swap deal, which would see Semedo join City and the two City players moving to Barcelona.
