Barça has a rival: Arsenal wants to snatch the heir of Ter Stegen

Joan García, a 23-year-old goalkeeper from RCD Espanyol, was set to be one of the standout names in the summer market for FC Barcelona. The serious knee injury of Marc-André Ter Stegen has reopened the debate about the goalkeeping position, and although Wojciech Szczesny has more than fulfilled his role as the German's substitute and already has a renewal offer on the table, the sports management is aware that they must secure the future of the goal for the medium or long term.

The Blaugrana entity trusts that Ter Stegen will return fully recovered and will be back to his best version, so they would be looking for a young and promising goalkeeper who would accept a secondary role behind the German, a profile that fits that of the player from Sallent de Llobregat, whose contract with the perico team expires in June 2028.

García, valued at 10 million euros according to 'Transfermarkt', is one of the cornerstones of the white-and-blue team that is fighting for survival in La Liga, and his good performances in LaLiga have put him on Barça's radar, where they value his great present and, above all, his potential. His release clause is set at 30 million euros, but the culés would seek to lower this figure if they decide to pursue his signing.

Arsenal, Barça's main rival in the bid for García

However, the operation for the goalkeeper will not be easy. Firstly, it seems unlikely that, aware of the 'gem' they have in their hands, Espanyol will concede to their economic demands to let the player go. Furthermore, the presence of Arsenal in the negotiations could seriously threaten the Catalans' chances in the bidding, as Mikel Arteta would be willing to go all out for the player.

In fact, according to journalist Santi Ovalle, the 'gunners' would be in the 'pole position' for the signing of García, who will almost certainly leave the RCDE Stadium in the summer. The Londoners already put 25 million on the table of Espanyol in the last summer window, and although the transfer did not go through, the situation could be different at the end of the season.

Meanwhile, at Barça, they would have already made initial contacts with his entourage to find out what his current situation is and what the conditions of the clause are, since it could vary if the Catalan team is relegated to the Second Division and could also increase by 5 million if the player debuts with the Spanish national team. So far, nothing concrete has happened, but what is certain is that the 'saga' will heat up in the coming weeks.