Barcelona have reportedly called off their pursuit of Eric Garcia for now, with even a summer transfer uncertain as things stand.
According to a report by Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo, Barcelona have ceded their interest in Manchester City defender Eric Garcia for now, with any decision over his transfer being pushed till after the results of the presidential elections are declared.
Eric Garcia joined Manchester City from Barcelona in the summer of 2017, making his way to the Etihad in search of a clear pathway first-team football. While he is yet to establish himself as a mainstay at the back for the Premier League heavyweights, the 20-year-old is rated quite highly by Pep Guardiola.
However, Garcia has no interest in extending his stay at Manchester City, with his current contract at the club set to run out this coming summer. His situation has piqued the interest of Barcelona for a long time, with the Spanish international’s former club reportedly in his pursuit since last summer.
In fact, there have been suggestions that Garcia has already agreed personal terms with Barcelona, with a move only being a mere formality. The interest from Barcelona makes a great deal of sense as well, considering Gerard Pique is on the wrong side of 30 and Samuel Umtiti has proven to be an unreliable figure due to a spate of injuries.
That leaves Ronald Koeman with Clement Lenglet, Ronald Araujo and Oscar Mingueza as the only recognised centre-backs at his disposal. While Mingueza has been impressive, he is still expected to be a squad rotation option as far as the short-term future is concerned, which means Barcelona do need to delve into the transfer market for a centre-back.
To that end, Garcia, an established Spanish international, is a viable target for the Blaugrana. Recent reports, though, have suggested that a January move is unlikely, which has now been corroborated by Mundo Deportivo, who are also adding that Barcelona are set to pull out of the race to sign Garcia altogether.
A move for the 20-year-old has been vetoed by Joan Laporta, and with the three presidential candidates not agreeing over a transfer, any possible call on Garcia’s pursuit will only be taken until after a new president is elected. This is set to leave Garcia in the lurch, with the young Spaniard now having a major conundrum over his future.
While Barcelona could renew their interest in Garcia post March, their pursuit of the Manchester City centre-back is off for now. It will now be interesting to see if Barcelona do indeed reignite their interest in the youngster ahead of the summer, or if they turn their attention elsewhere.
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