According to ESPN’s Moises Lorens, Barcelona have provisionally agreed the terms of a contract with Eric Garcia ahead of signing the defender on a free transfer next summer.
This comes after Barcelona failed to recruit the 19-year-old before the European transfer deadline passed last night.
The MEN report that the Blaugrana were only willing to offer a deal worth £18m – which included £8m in potential add-ons, whilst City wanted a deal worth a total of £20m, including a £10m initial fee.
City’s decision to knock back that attempt is very surprising, considering that Garcia is now free to leave for nothing once his contract expires next summer.
The MEN hint that the Manchester outfit see having Garcia as part of the squad for the entire season as more valuable than the £18m deal that Barcelona were offering.
Garcia is now set to return to the Catalan outfit after leaving them for City at the age of 17. Barcelona manager Ronald Koeman even confirmed the club’s intent to sign the centre-back this summer.
Garcia’s enjoyed an encouraging start to his professional career after breaking into City’s first-team last season, starting 15 of his 20 appearances for the Citizens.
The Camp Nou outfit will be getting themselves a real bargain if they secure Garcia on a free transfer, the talent made his senior debut for Spain in the last international break and has been called up to the squad once again.
As good as getting a potentially more polished Garcia on a free rather than in a £20m deal this summer, the failure to land a central defender could seriously hurt Barcelona this season.
Long-serving star Gerard Pique remains a starter alongside Clement Lenglet, with youngster Ronald Araujo and injury-prone Samuel Umtiti the only other alternatives with senior experience.