Arsenal Newsnow: Caught Offside claims that Arsenal is monitoring Barcelona defender Eric Garcia. The young Spanish defender has impressed at the Catalan club despite limited playing time under boss Xavi Hernandez. Garcia started up in the youth program at Barcelona before making the move to Manchester City in 2017. Despite starting 35 games for City, he returned to Barcelona in 2021 without having established himself as a regular member of the first squad at Etihad Stadium.
Garcia may be ready for a return to the Premier League after having a less-than-stellar tenure at Manchester City. That’s where Arsenal comes in; the Gunners are apparently interested in bringing the defender back to England.
Because of his adaptability, he’s a desirable player for many teams. He’s versatile enough to fill in at centre back, right-back, or even defensive midfield. After working with the young Spanish defender at Manchester City, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is interested in signing him. Even though nothing has been confirmed as of yet, the story suggests that Arsenal have shown serious interest in Garcia. If they make the proper deal, the young defender should be theirs.
Barça will watch Eric Garcia’s games before making a decision on a move, while Arsenal is keeping tabs on him
According to the Spanish publication Futbol Total, Barcelona manager Xavi is not pleased with the defender’s performances. He plans to place him on the club’s summer transfer list. Since arriving at Barca, Garcia has been unable to secure a berth in the first team. Xavi, unsatisfied with the 22-year-old defender’s progress, may start entertaining trade proposals at the conclusion of the current campaign.
Mikel Arteta wants to sign Eric García for Arsenal, either on loan or on a permanent transfer.
— @sport pic.twitter.com/kDX09fxptb
— Barça Universal (@BarcaUniversal) January 10, 2023
Eric Garcia joined Barcelona from Manchester City on a free transfer, not more than a year ago. He was immediately considered one of the club’s future defensive assets. But since then, a lot has changed in the Barça defence, with Ronald Araujo’s meteoric ascent to prominence and the notable summer additions of Jules Kounde and Andreas Christensen.
For Garcia, who reportedly has failed to live up to his promise since moving back to Catalonia in 2021, this has been the cause of his undoing, as reported by Diario AS. The defender has struggled to establish himself as a mainstay in the starting lineup, particularly with the current squad.
The former Manchester City player had a decent start to the season. But he has since dropped down the pecking order. Coach Xavi Hernandez has shown more trust in other players. He has not started any of Barcelona’s past four league matches.
Over the last several weeks, Christensen and Araujo, in particular, have gotten the nod over Garcia. According to the article, Xavi ranks Marcos Alonso above the 22-year-old, making Garcia Barcelona’s fifth-choice central defender.
