Barcelona ‘Hatch Plan’ to Beat Arsenal to Key Goalkeeper Target | OneFootball

Barcelona are working towards an agreement which would see them win the race for Espanyol goalkeeper Joan García, reports have claimed.

García, 24, has enjoyed a sensational individual campaign with Espanyol and is set to move on this summer after his side narrowly avoided being relegated from La Liga.

Arsenal remain keen on the goalkeeper after failing with a bid to sign him last summer, while the likes of Chelsea, Manchester United and Real Madrid are among the sides touted as rival suitors. Faced with so much competition, Barcelona are working to try get a deal done early.

As first revealed by Cadena SER, Barcelona are trying to sign García with a view to loaning him out to another side in La Liga last season.

The league champions are not ready to move on from the experienced pairing of Marc-André ter Stegen and Wojciech Szczęsny, but recognise they will soon need a younger option and do not want to miss out on the opportunity to sign García.

With Espanyol avoiding relegation from La Liga and García missing out on a spot in the Spain squad for the upcoming Nations League fixtures, the stopper’s release clause remains an enticing €25 million (£21 million, $28.4 million).

García has plenty of admirers. / IMAGO/Pressinphoto

That figure has caught the eye of a number of sides across Europe. Alongside Arsenal and Barcelona, Mundo Deportivo claim offers have been received from Aston Villa and Bournemouth, while Bayer Leverkusen and Napoli are also keen.

García has not yet made a decision on his future but is thought to be determined to be a regular starter next season, rather than enter a battle to become his new side’s first-choice option. That desire, according to Espanyol manager Manolo González, should be enough to stop him from joining Barcelona.

“I know he has strong Barça feelings,” González said. “I’m not in his head, but I would be very surprised if he went to Barça. Because they have Ter Stegen and because they are their eternal rival, I would be very surprised.

“But I’m not in anyone’s head and I don’t know what they’ll do. I won’t tell them anything. If someone pays the release clause and they want to, there’s nothing they can do. What I’ve told him is to think it over carefully because what he has to do now is play.

“What I want is for him to go somewhere where he can play and be happy. To be a top player. Not to go somewhere where there’s a veteran goalkeeper who overtakes him because of his name. He has to keep playing and be a starter. I hope he makes his mind up and doesn’t just go with the name or the money.”