Deco (foto: Getty Images)
The Espanyol goalkeeper is close to joining Barca in a €25 million move, signalling a bold change between the posts.
Barcelona is on the verge of completing its first transfer for the 2025/26 season, with Espanyol’s 24-year-old goalkeeper Joan Garcia set to make the move across the city. According to Fabrizio Romano, Barcelona is ready to activate his €25 million release clause.
Sporting director Deco and coach Hansi Flick see Garcia as a long-term solution at one of the most crucial positions on the pitch. Garcia has reportedly agreed personal terms, and the official announcement is expected soon.
This potential deal signals a major shift in Barcelona’s goalkeeping plans. Since Victor Valdés left in 2014, the club’s goal has been guarded by foreign keepers—first Claudio Bravo, then Marc-André ter Stegen, and most recently, Wojciech Szczęsny during Ter Stegen’s injury absence this season.
Joan Garcia has been one of La Liga’s standout goalkeepers this year and attracted interest from several Premier League clubs. Barcelona now seems poised to beat the competition by moving quickly to close the deal.
Garcia’s arrival could push Ter Stegen, who has been a mainstay at the club since 2014, toward an uncertain future—especially under a new coach who appears to favour a younger, Spanish alternative in goal.