Priority target could end up costing Barcelona more than €30m despite €25m release clause | OneFootball

Barcelona’s interest in Joan Garcia is certainly serious, but it is not going to be cheap.

In fact, according to SPORT, Espanyol are standing firm so much so that they won’t accept anything less than the full payment of his release clause from Barcelona.

Furthermore, although the release clause is set at €25 million, due to added charges like VAT and CPI, the total cost for Barcelona could rise to €31.2 million.

Espanyol are not open to negotiating a payment plan either. They don’t want any instalments, especially not from Barcelona.

Their board believes that if any club wants to take their goalkeeper, they must pay the full clause upfront. They see Barcelona as a direct rival and are not willing to make things easy for them.

If a Premier League club was involved, the approach might have been different. But for Barça, it is either pay in full or walk away.

Espanyol’s stance leaves no room for bargaining

Barcelona could face financial problems in signing Joan Garcia. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)

Espanyol are making it clear that there is no room for flexible deals. They are not interested in hidden arrangements or delayed payments.

Reports suggest that a “covert transfer” might be considered to help smooth over the process, but even that could push the total price beyond €31 million.

If no deal is reached, the only remaining option would be for Garcia himself to pay the release clause directly to La Liga. This move would allow him to sign for Barça, but it would also temporarily increase his personal assets by €25 million.

Thankfully for Garcia, Spanish tax law would be on his side in this situation. According to the Directorate General of Taxes (DGT), this kind of payment is not seen as income. That means he wouldn’t have to pay extra tax on it through personal income tax.

Still, this entire operation is proving far more complicated and expensive than Barcelona might have expected.