Why Eric Garcia would be a good long-term signing for Barcelona
According to the Mirror, Barcelona boss Ronald Koeman has asked the club hierarchy to make a move for Eric Garcia in January. The centre-back was a target for Barcelona but they could not conjure up the funds to make a deal happen. Koeman also wants to bring his Dutch compatriots, Georginio Wijnaldum and Memphis Depay.
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Born in Barcelona, Garcia spent nine years between 2008 and 2017 at La Masia. He then moved across the continent to join Manchester City. The highly-rated teenager featured thrice in the Citizens’ triumphant 2018-19 EFL Cup campaign. But he had to wait until the following season to make his Premier League debut.
The 19-year-old enjoyed an impressive breakthrough season in the top-flight last term, clocking up 791 minutes of league football across eight starts and five substitute appearances (source – Transfermarkt). Besides that, he also started once in the Champions League and on five other occasions in the domestic cup competitions last season.
Garcia is yet to make his senior international debut for Spain. He has already represented his nation at U-19 and U-21 levels though.
Eric Garcia would be fantastic long-term addition at Barcelona
Barcelona’s defensive struggles were there for everyone to see. For the first time in decades the club finished trophyless. Real Madrid pipped them to La Liga and Bayern gave them the lesson of a lifetime in the Champions League.
More than anything, what stood out was Gerrard Pique and Clement Lenglet producing the most shambolic displays one could imagine.
Eric Garcia was one of the few players who had his heart set on a move to his hometown club. He was hardly getting any chances in City’s star-studded backline. Now with the two new additions of Nathan Ake and Ruben Dias, it is clear that game time will be harder to come by.
At Barcelona, however, he is highly likely to be given more chances, especially with Pique on the wrong side of 30, looking past his prime. Add to that, Lenglet popping up with more error-prone performances.
Read More
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- Why Memphis Depay would be a useful signing for Barcelona in January
His age means that he will be a very good long-term asset for the club. It’s not easy to break into a team under Guardiola as a youngster. That tells a lot about Garcia’s qualities. He would no doubt be a great addition to Barca’s backline for years to come.
