With the January transfer window open, the rumour mill is abuzz with speculations regarding the future of players. Barcelona, even though they are unable to sign any players at this moment, continue to be in the headlines.
And, now according to Mundo Deportivo, the Catalans’ defender Eric Garcia has emerged as a transfer target for Premier League leaders Arsenal. However, it is further claimed that the Spaniard, who turned 22 recently, is not contemplating an exit from Barcelona at this moment.
Garcia joined Barça on a free transfer in the summer of 2021, arriving from Manchester City. While he has seen his fair share of game-time, the Spaniard has recently tumbled down the pecking order, having not started a single La Liga game since late October.
While the Spanish international is rated highly by Xavi & co. for his ball-playing abilities and distribution skills, individual errors have been a cause of concern with his performances.
Meanwhile, Andreas Christensen has been putting up solid displays along with Jules Kounde and Ronald Araujo is back from injury. On top of that, Xavi has also been using Marcos Alonso as a centre-half, effectively making Garcia the fifth-choice centre-back at Barça.
Given his situation, Arsenal have seemingly taken note and have shown an interest in signing the 22-year-old.
The Gunners manager Mikel Arteta knows Garcia well, having worked with him at Manchester City in the past, and is said to be keen on signing him, either on loan or permanently, as per SPORT.
However, as per the report from Mundo Deportivo, Garcia is not considering the possibility of leaving Barcelona anytime soon, be it on loan or a permanent move.
The defender wants to stay put at Camp Nou despite his current situation, while manager Xavi has also made it clear that he wishes to keep the squad intact for the remainder of the season.