Joan Garcia: Man United’s most important target this summer | OneFootball

Manchester United’s focus in the upcoming transfer window will centre around expensive reinforcements in the forward line. But it is a relatively unknown goalkeeper from Spain – available at a bargain price – who will prove the club’s most important piece of business this summer.

Ghastly Goalkeeping

Sir Alex Ferguson once remarked that a “great goalkeeper is worth 15 points over the course of a season.” But, by the inverse, a terrible goalkeeper can be the source of 15 points being lost throughout a campaign; and there are two of them in the Old Trafford dressing room at present.

Ruben Amorim’s senior goalkeepers – Andre Onana and Altay Bayindir – have both committed cardinal sins between the sticks for the Red Devils this year, combining to produce a destabilising effect on their team.

Despite starting this season in impressive form, Onana has seen his performances plummet since Amorim arrived in November to replace Erik ten Hag – the manager who prioritised the Cameroonian goalkeeper’s signing in 2023.

High-profile mistakes against Nottingham Forest, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Brighton & Hove Albion and AFC Bournemouth in the Premier League have been matched by similarly catastrophic errors in the Europa League, namely in the quarter-final first leg against Olympique Lyonnais.

Onana’s ability with the ball at his feet has also declined, despite that attribute being the primary reason why United paid Inter Milan £47.2 million for the 29-year-old two years ago.

If Amorim had a reliable number two waiting in line behind Onana, the Portuguese coach would undoubtedly have pulled the trigger on a changing of the guard in goal; except Bayindir has proven even more unsteady than his teammate.

In four of Bayindir’s last five starts in goal for United, the team have lost each game while conceding 14 goals in total. The Turkish international strikes a panicked figure in goal who spreads anxiety throughout the defence, making similarly devastating mistakes as Onana in the defeats to Tottenham Hotspur in the Carabao Cup and Newcastle United in the league.

However, the exception to this was the FA Cup victory over Arsenal at the Emirates where, despite United going down to 10 men for much of the game, Amorim’s side prevailed on penalties thanks to Bayindir’s efforts, although he did play a significant role in Gabriel’s equaliser.

The 27-year-old goalkeeper saved a penalty from Martin Odegaard during the match then denied Kai Havertz in the shoot-out to allow Joshua Zirkzee to step up and win the tie.

But the brutal reality at Old Trafford is that neither of the senior options at Amorim’s disposal are good enough. And this appears to have sunk in for the former Sporting CP manager as the Reds are increasingly linked with a move for a new shot stopper this summer.

By necessity, United’s budget will be dominated by moves for forward players. The team has scored a paltry 42 goals in the Premier League this season with only Everton and the three relegated sides having scored fewer times. The senior striking partnership of Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee have just seven league goals combined.

But forwards are expensive. And with the club looking to trigger the release clauses of Matheus Cunha (Wolves) and Liam Delap (Ipswich Town) in moves that would cost nearly £100 million in total, the budget for a new goalkeeper will be limited.

Targets such as Vanja Milinkovic-Savic (Torino), James Trafford (Burnley), Senne Lammens (Royal Antwerp) and Joan Garcia (Espanyol) are all reported to be options under consideration at Old Trafford, given they will not be expensive pursuits.

But it is Espanyol’s number one, Garcia, that the Red Devils must prioritise with a summer swoop over these other options. Or else one of their domestic rivals will get there first.

Joan of Arc

Born in 2001, Garcia quickly rose through Espanyol’s youth-system after joining the Liga club – considered one of Spain’s “most prestigious football academies” – and became one of their standout talents at junior level.

Breaking The Lines details how the “Spaniard developed his technical and tactical skills at Espanyol, rapidly becoming a star prospect in their junior system” in their analysis of Garcia. “His poise under pressure, superb reflexes, and shot-stopping abilities drew the attention of coaches, earning him opportunities to play for Espanyol’s B squad.”

The 24-year-old has represented Spain at U16, U17, U19 and U21 level, though he still awaits his senior debut. He was a part of the squad who won the U19 European Championship.

Garcia possesses a well-rounded skillset perfectly suited to the demands modern football places on goalkeepers.

The Spaniard is adroit in possession and comfortable playing out from the back with short-range or long-range distribution. He is also a willing ‘sweeper keeper’, helping his defence play a high line when necessary to condense the pitch and suffocate the opposition, although this is tactic more common at international level, than for his club.

Espanyol are currently 16th in La Liga, only five points clear of the relegation zone with three games left to play. They are a ‘smaller’ club – at least in comparison to their Catalonian neighbours, Barcelona – and often find themself on the backfoot in games, surrendering possession and almost inviting pressure on their goal.

But Garcia is an excellent goalkeeper in the ‘traditional’ sense of the position.

He ranks in the 90th percentile for PSxG-GA (Post shot expected goals minus goals allowed) – basically how well a goalkeeper fares against the shots they face – and 87th for saved shots. He has made the most saves in Spain this season, and is second in Europe only to Brentford’s Mark Flekken.

The 24-year-old is also a commanding presence in his box, standing 6’3 and ranking in the 90th percentile for crosses stopped.

Garcia has kept seven clean sheets for Espanyol this season and saved two penalties in one match against Mallorca in March. His form in recent months has seen him described as the “most in-form” goalkeeper in Europe at present given his standout performances for Los Periquitos.

Interest from England

Espanyol are braced to lose Garcia this summer after his impressive campaign because the 24-year-old’s contract at the RCDE Stadium contains a variable release clause worth between €25 million and €30 million (£21m-£25m).

At present, Garcia will cost €25 million. But this will automatically increase to €30 million in the final 15 days of the summer window or, more crucially, if the goalkeeper receives his first call-up to the Spanish national side. And with Spain set to face Germany on June 5 in the Nations League, this is a likely scenario.

Espanyol are also thought to be under financial pressure and open to a sale for one of their prized assets to help balance the books.

As a result, there is widespread interest from the Premier League in Garcia, with Arsenal believed to be leading the race for the Spaniard. Aston Villa and Bournemouth have also been linked with moves, however, as have United.

But both Arsenal and Villa have capable number ones who their managers are more than happy with. Were Garcia to leave Catalonia for London or Birmingham, he would be arriving as a number two with little expectation of progressing beyond that point, at least in the short term.

Bournemouth also have their own Spanish starter in goal – Kepa Arrizabalaga – but the 30-year-old is only on loan with the Cherries from Chelsea, who are yet to sanction his permanent departure.

But were United to move for Garcia, he would presented with the prospect of arriving at Old Trafford, to play for the biggest club in England, with his only competitors being the Chuckle brothers in goal, Onana and Bayindir. It’s a situation which almost demands you sign the contract on the spot.

United must recognise this unique situation and move quickly and decisively to sign Garcia while his release clause remains favourable, his club are open to selling, and their domestic rivals are yet to strike.

A £21 million deal to provide a genuine upgrade in goal will leave enough of the remaining budget, when buttressed with sales, to still overhaul the team’s misfiring forward line. It will address an area of grave concern for Amorim while enabling the club to still be in a position to sign Cunha and Delap – both identified as key targets by the Portuguese coach.

It feels a redundant approach to fix one end of the pitch while completely neglecting the other. And a move for Garcia feels more time-sensitive than ones for either attacker as their release clauses are set in stone, while the 24-year-old goalkeeper’s is likely to rise in the first week of June.

The Red Devils must decide to move now, or one of their competitors will take the choice away from them.

Featured image Alex Caparros via Getty Images

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