Manchester City defender Eric Garcia saw his hopes of a last-minute move to Barcelona on deadline day ‘thwarted’ by a lack of agreement between their presidential candidates.
That’s according to Sport, who say the centre-back will join the La Liga giants in the summer when he becomes a free agent.
As you’ll know by now, Garcia has been heavily linked with a move to the Nou Camp since the summer, when Barcelona tried in vain to get a deal done with Manchester City.
It was believed they would return this month and sign Garcia on the cheap, with the player having made it clear he wants to return to his former club.
However, it seems despite the best efforts of everyone involved, Barcelona could not get a deal over the line.
Sport explain that despite having Garcia tied up since October last year, the interim situation at the Nou Camp meant that closing a transfer proved to be impossible.
Thus, the deal will be finalised in the summer instead, when Barcelona will have a new board of directors and a new manager.
Both Koeman and the player were keen for the move to happen this month, though, and Garcia ‘made every possible effort’ to help out Barça, even renouncing his salary for the rest of the season.
Manchester City joined in the goodwill too and lowered their asking price, but those in charge at the club insisted at least three of the presidential candidates had to approve of the deal for it to go through.
That, though, was something they could not get and the deal will now be dealt with by the next president once he is elected.
It leaves Garcia frustrated once again, having seen his dream return to Barcelona scuppered for the second time in a year.
