I Doubt – Espanyol Boss Plays Down One Destination For Newcastle Target | OneFootball

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Espanyol boss Manolo Gonzalez has revealed that he has doubts over Newcastle United target Joan Garcia joining Barcelona in the summer.

Newcastle are looking for a goalkeeper as Martin Dubravka is set to leave after June and Nick Pope will enter the final year of his contract with the Tyneside outfit.

They have interest in a host of options, including Burnley’s James Trafford.

Espanyol goalkeeper Garcia is also of interest to Newcastle, but he Spanish giants Barcelona are also keen on him.

Garcia is an academy product of Espanyol and has featured in a total of 67 games for them while keeping 21 clean sheets.

With Barcelona in the mix for his signature, Newcastle are set to face tough competition for the player in the summer, but Espanyol boss Gonzalez stated that he has major doubts that Garcia will join their rivals in the upcoming window.

Espanyol are struggling with finances and he added that the club might have already agreed to a deal for Garcia in the current scenario, but he has not been informed of anything about a move.

“Maybe he is already sold, but the club have not said anything to me”, Gonzalez was quoted as saying by Mundo Deportivo.

“Personally, I doubt very much that he will sign for Barcelona.

“I’m not saying I’d bet my hand on it, but almost.”

Barcelona boss Hansi Flick rates Garcia highly and he is looking for a replacement for Wojciech Szczesny, whose contract will expire at the end of June.

The Newcastle target has a €25m release clause in his contract, which could get increased if he makes an appearance for the Spanish national team in the upcoming days.

Several Premier League clubs have been linked with Garcia in the past and it remains to be seen whether the Magpies will be able to beat Barcelona to land his signature.