Towards the end of last summer, Espanyol requested for €30m after Arsenal offered €20m for Espanyol goalkeeper Joan García. He has a €25m clause which will rise to €30m for the last 15 days of the window.
On Thursday, Espanyol sporting director Fran Garagarza revealed Arsenal’s late approach to sign the 23-year-old. He also said the La Liga side will sell for a fee close to his clause [including bonuses] if they receive an early bid in the summer window.
A fresh report Estadio Deportivo again covers the Gunners’ failure to sign the stopper last August.
The Spanish club rejected Arsenal’s offer because it was less than his clause and they didn’t have enough time to secure a replacement. The north London club are still after the Spain international.
According to Estadio, Mikel Arteta’s side ‘will try again’ to sign the goalkeeper at the end of this season. After Garagarza’s latest admission, García has explained how he wants to leave Espanyol.
The Arsenal target has been speaking to Tiempo de Espanyol and Estadio have relayed his comments.
“At the moment I’m not thinking about that [future], but you never know. If it happens, let it happen in the best way,” he said.
“If in the end it turns out that I have to leave, how can I not say goodbye well? Espanyol are the club that has given me everything. If I go through the back door, it wouldn’t go well.”
