Arsenal’s planned move for Espanyol goalkeeper Joan Garcia is a lot less certain at this stage, according to a report.
Sam Dean reports for The Telegraph that a few months ago, sources in Spain claimed Joan Garcia’s move to Arsenal was regarded by many as a near certainty.
Yet the picture is now less clear, with Garcia catching the eye of other teams and questions over whether he’d be willing to play a backup role to David Raya.
On top of that, Dean suggests Arsenal may not be willing to invest £20m in another goalkeeper, with the other transfer business they need to do.
Any interested club would be wise to wait at least a few more days before making any kind of offer for Garcia. After losing five games in a row, Espanyol have found themselves back in the relegation fight with one match remaining.
Notably, Espanyol recently lost to CD Leganes, giving their relegation rivals the head-to-head advantage if they finish level on points. So if Leganes beat 20th-place Real Valladolid on the final day, Espanyol must win (not just draw) to avoid the drop.
Should they go down, Garcia’s release clause would reportedly drop to around £13m, making him much more affordable.
Garcia has made 37 appearances for Espanyol this season. Though his seven clean sheets might not be the most eye-catching, he consistently ranks among the top goalkeepers for save percentage, saves per 90, and goals prevented.
It’s just difficult to rack up clean sheets when you’re playing for a team conceding as many chances as Espanyol do.
Arsenal won’t find many better goalkeepers on the market this summer, it’s just a question of whether they can spare the money. If Espanyol go down, perhaps the equation swings back in favour of the move.