Man City are reportedly looking to agree new terms with Eric Garcia amid ongoing speculation linking Barcelona with an interest in securing a reunion with him.
The 19-year-old left the Camp Nou in 2017 to join City, and while it has taken time for him to make a breakthrough at the Etihad, he now has 17 appearances with the first team having made a bigger impression this year.
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However, just as he is seemingly stepping up for Pep Guardiola, Mundo Deportivo note that Barcelona are interested in signing him and he is said to be open to a return to the Catalan giants.
It won’t be so straight-forward though as it’s added Man City are set to offer him a wage increase in their renewal offer with his current deal set to expire in 2021, and with Barca’s financial concerns being highlighted as they may not be able to offer the kind of money that Garcia would get in Manchester, it could prove to be difficult move to prise him away.
It’s an obvious issue that needs to be addressed at Barcelona with Gerard Pique turning 34 next February, while Samuel Umtiti has had his fair share of injury woes in recent years.
That leaves Clement Lenglet as their only other senior centre-half and so for a European giant looking to compete and win major trophies year in and year out, they will surely prioritise that area this summer.
Further, with City losing Vincent Kompany last summer and having opted to not fill that void with a new signing to date, Garcia could be an important figure moving forward.
Garcia would be a top option as he’s also already had experience coming through the ranks at Barcelona at youth level so he could be an immediate fit for the style of play and culture at the club, but it sounds as though it’s more likely that City’s financial muscle and Barcelona’s limited flexibility could result in him continuing his development under Guardiola in Manchester.