Eric García has a contract with Manchester City until 2021 and his decision not to sign an extension helps Barcelona in their quest to acquire his services.
The defender was forced to continue at Etihad after the La Liga side failed to reach an agreement with the Citizens in the last transfer window.
Pep Guardiola’s side stood firm in demanding €20m, but the Catalan club were unwilling to meet. The 19-year-old was ‘disappointed’ with City’s decision not to let him leave.
The centre-back, Lyon’s Memphis Depay and Liverpool’s Georginio Wijnaldum are on the front page of today’s Mundo Deportivo, with ‘Bargains in January’ written in bold.
Ronald Koeman and Barca technical leaders share the same view with regards to the City player. The two parties have received good reports of the Spain international’s evolution at the Premier League side.
García arrived in Manchester from Barcelona in 2017 and keeps his desire to return to his former club. This, coupled with the duration left on his contract, makes him a ‘very desirable’ defender target for the Blaugrana.
Mundo states both the player and the Spanish side were of the belief that City would accept Barcelona’s proposal in the final week of the window.
Having failed to sign him, Koeman’s side will look to ‘finish the job’ in January, when an ‘agreement between the two parties will be made official, valid as of July 1, 2021’.
The report also adds Barca will look to find an agreement with City to take García in the winter market, but for a lower fee.
There’s no mention what the Catalan side are ready to offer, but they are aware City must ‘sell fast [for] cheap’, if they are to make money from the teenager’s sale in January.
García is viewed as a ‘bargain’ signing not just because of his contract situation, but also taking into account Barca’s finances being impacted due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
