The future of Eric García seems poised for a radical turn as the second half of the season approaches. Initially, FC Barcelona appeared willing to let the 23-year-old defender go, although the option of sending him back to Girona did not appeal much to the Blaugrana board. However, due to the lack of sufficient financial solvency to pursue a couple of reinforcements in January, the club has ruled out weakening the squad with the departure of the '24'.
In this regard, Hansi Flick has been the first to request the defender's stay. The coach considers him an important piece for his rotation plan, thanks to his ability to play as a pivot, center-back, and even right-back in emergency cases. Although Eric was out for just over a month due to a pubalgia, since his return he has been getting minutes ahead of players like Frenkie de Jong and Pablo Torre.
Eric García, a Transferable Player for Next Summer
Besides Girona, García had several clubs interested in his transfer this winter, including Porto. More recently, Newcastle and Chelsea have also shown interest, according to information leaked by the English portal 'CaughtOffside'. Despite the possibility of earning at least 15 million in January for the defender, the club has made its stance clear: only players who express a desire to leave and for whom very tempting offers arrive will depart.
This, for now, is not the case for Eric, who despite his secondary role is fully committed to the Blaugrana project. The returns of Ronald Araujo and Andreas Christensen represent a greater challenge for him to fight for a spot. Nevertheless, the '24' is ready to keep working hard and try to help the team in whatever position the coaching staff requires. So far, the defender has accumulated 541 minutes in 13 matches (11 in La Liga, 2 in Champions), with 1 assist in the Spanish league.