Barcelona defender had confessed to the locker room about wanting January exit before plans changed | OneFootball

Eric Garcia has been at the centre of transfer speculations surrounding FC Barcelona in recent weeks, what with the club needing to offload one or two players to make room for key target Marcus Rashford.

For quite some time, it was believed that Garcia could be the one to leave, along with Ansu Fati. The versatile defender was also courting interest from Girona and Como, both of whom had sent in offers for him.

However, everything changed last week, especially after the game against Benfica, where Garcia put on a fine display after coming on as a substitute, scoring a key goal as well.

Barcelona have since ruled out his departure, with manager Hansi Flick playing a key role in convincing the Spaniard to continue.

Eric Garcia wanted to leave initially

Now, SPORT has reported that Garcia had a clear vision at the beginning of the winter transfer window – he was looking for a move to find more playing time.

The Spanish international had revealed his intentions in the locker room as well but plans changed after he received a boost in confidence from Hansi Flick.

Eric Garcia was keen on leaving. (Photo by Yasser Bakhsh/Getty Images)

Garcia did not want to simply rely on his contract for a comfortable life at Barcelona. At 24, his desire was to play regularly, something that was only occurring sporadically at the Catalan club.

As a result, he had confided in his teammates that his intention was to leave the club, with whom he has a contract until June 2026. He had received an enticing offer from Girona while other clubs, such as Real Sociedad, also showed interest.

Flick was also aware of Garcia’s dissatisfaction with the minutes he was getting and opted to show his trust in the 24-year-old by bringing him on against Benfica at a crucial point in the game, with the player making a decisive contribution.

Following that, there was a conversation between the player and the manager, which left the defender convinced about continuing.

The German tactician values players of Garcia’s profile, those who prioritise the collective over their personal situations. Flick was determined not to let him go, and it appears he has succeeded.

Against Valencia on Sunday, he was rewarded with a starting role ahead of Ronald Araujo and Andreas Christensen.