As you’ll be well aware by now, Barcelona were very keen to sign Eric Garcia from Manchester City this summer.
The defender has been identified as the long-term answer at the Spanish club, with them determined to bring him back after losing him to the Etihad as a youngster.
Ultimately the two clubs could not reach an agreement, with Barcelona feeling that Manchester City were asking too much for a player whose contract expires next summer.
For most of the summer, it appeared the negotiations were on the cusp of completion and Sport have provided details of how close things were.
In the ‘last hours of the market’ Manchester City offered a deal worth €10m fixed plus €10m in variables that would begin to be paid in the 2021/22 season until 2024.
However, Barcelona did not accept that and instead presented another proposal of €10m fixed plus €8m in variables, three of which would have been for winning the Champions League.
This offer was made 90 minutes before the close of the window, and at that point City, having told Garcia he was staying at the club, could not give their okay.
That ended negotiations there and then, which up until that point had been ‘frantic throughout the day’ between the clubs.
Manchester City had asked from the outset for €15m fixed plus €5m in bonuses, with Barcelona then offering €10m plus €5m. Only when Garcia made it clear he wanted to leave, did City offer the aforementioned 10 plus 10 proposal.
Barcelona did not agree, of course, a decision they now probably regret after Gerard Pique’s serious injury.
