By John Moses
FC Barcelona have completed the signing of Joan García from cross-city rivals Espanyol in a €25 million deal, the club confirmed on Wednesday. The 24-year-old goalkeeper has signed a long-term contract running until 2031.
García’s move comes after Barcelona activated the release clause in his contract, leaving Espanyol powerless to stop the transfer. Despite their reluctance to part ways with one of their standout performers, the club had no legal grounds to prevent the departure.
The Catalan giants now have an increasingly competitive goalkeeping unit, with García joining Marc-André ter Stegen, Wojciech Szczęsny, and Iñaki Peña at the club.
Several Premier League sides, including Manchester City, Arsenal, Newcastle United, Aston Villa, and Bournemouth, had shown interest in García. However, remarks by City manager Pep Guardiola indicating satisfaction with his current squad of goalkeepers, Éderson and Stefan Ortega, cleared the path for Barça to finalise the deal.
It remains uncertain how García’s arrival will impact Barcelona’s goalkeeper hierarchy. Ter Stegen, 33, has been the club’s first-choice keeper for nearly a decade, although injury limited him to just two appearances at the end of last season. The German international has stated he intends to remain at the club.
Meanwhile, Szczęsny, who joined on a short-term basis following Ter Stegen’s injury last autumn, is reportedly considering a contract extension as his current deal expires at the end of June.
Iñaki Peña, a product of Barcelona’s youth academy, is widely expected to leave in search of more regular first-team action, especially with increased competition now in place.
