Manchester City’s Eric García is on the front page of today’s edition of Sport.
‘Attention to the New Piqué’ is written in bold as Barcelona are closely following the defender.
Gerard Piqué left the Catalan club’s academy for Manchester United in 2004 and he returned to Camp Nou in 2008.
García also came up through the ranks of La Masia and moved to City in 2017. It’s claimed the 19-year-old left the La Liga winners due to ‘mismanagement in grassroots football’ and could now return to his former club.
There has been suggestion the teenager’s contract at the Etihad runs down in 2022, but Sport state his deal expires next summer.
This has ‘opened the door’ for a possible move because the Blaugrana will only have to wait for one more year to sign the Spaniard. Piqué returned when he was 21 and García ‘would do it at 20’, if he rejoins Barca.
There are a lot of similarities between the Spain international and the City player.
Both of them left Barca’s academy to join a club in Manchester, and the latter could be presented an opportunity to return to his old side, just like his compatriot more than a decade ago.
Sport state, ‘Gerard Piqué’s successful return to FC Barcelona in 2008 may experience a repeat in the summer of 2021. The case can be practically traced’.
Barcelona have followed García’s evolution with Pep Guardiola’s side and also with the lower categories of the Spanish national team. They share a good relationship with his agent Iván de la Peña and that could be positive for future negotiations.
However, the report makes it clear there’s been no talks with the player’s representative.
City will try to renew the youngster’s contract, but the newspaper claims the ‘current conditions are very different from when the player had to leave in 2017’. It isn’t clear if the conditions have changed in Manchester or Barca.
Sport end their report by stating Garcia’s ‘culé sentiment’ and the possibility of becoming Pique’s successor could see him return to his ‘home’.
Barcelona’s hope signing García can only be kept alive if he decides against signing a new deal with the English champions.
