Tottenham linked with £21m move for Espanyol goalkeeper Joan Garcia | OneFootball

Tottenham Hotspur have been linked with a move for RCD Espanyol goalkeeper Joan Garcia.

According to Mundo Deportivo (Page 14), Spurs are among a number of clubs interested in the 23-year-old shot-stopper.

Garcia spent most of the campaign playing second fiddle to former Madrid keeper Fernando Pacheo.

However, the 32-year-old picked up an injury, paving the way for Garcia to prove his mettle and establish himself as a competitor for the first-team spot.

Garcia featured 21 times across all competitions, keeping 12 clean sheets.

He kept eight clean sheets in 14 Spanish second-division fixtures and was instrumental in helping Espanyol secure promotion to the top flight with three clean sheets in four play-off games.

After Garcia’s impressive performances, Espanyol are determined to keep him at the club beyond this summer and will demand that interested clubs pay his £21 million release clause.

In a bid to ward off the top clubs, the Spanish outfit extended Garcia’s contract until 2028 last summer, inserting a flexible release clause that will increase by £4m in mid-August.

Garcia’s release clause could go as high as £29m if he is called up to the Spanish national team.

Spurs should look elsewhere for a back-up keeper

Garcia may have proven himself a capable stopper for Espanyol, but paying £21m for a back-up keeper is not an option Spurs should consider at the moment.

There are other areas of the squad that require immediate attention. Ange Postecoglou’s side need to sign a prolific striker to spearhead their attack and bridge the gap to the top four.

Strengthening the wide positions, as well as the full-back and centre-back roles, should be prioritised before signing a back-up keeper.

Guglielmo Vicario proved to be a reliable shot-stopper in his debut season at Spurs, and Fraser Forster provided adequate cover.

With these two options at their disposal, Tottenham should focus their transfer efforts on bolstering other key areas of the team.

Stats from Transfermarkt.com