Espanyol hero refuses to rule out Barcelona transfer – ‘We’ll evaluate all available options’ | OneFootball

Joan Garcia continues to dominate the headlines in the Barcelona spheres, with the 24-year-old RCD Espanyol hero being the Blaugrana’s top target for the summer.

The La Liga champions want to reinforce the goal with the Spaniard who has a €25 million release clause in his contract and is certain to leave.

Clubs from the Premier League are lining up to sign him while Barça have tabled a five-year contract proposal to Garcia.

It has been suggested that the Spaniard has concerns about the potential impact of a move to Barcelona from Espanyol given his strong connection to his boyhood club and the rivalries between the two teams.

Garcia leaving the door open

Despite that, Joan Garcia has refused to rule out a move to Barcelona during the summer transfer window.

Currently training at the Blaugrana’s Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper facilities in preparation for the Catalonia national team’s fixture against Costa Rica, the goalkeeper was directly asked if he was closing the door on Barça.

In response, Garcia said (h/t Victor Navarro): “I’m very calm, really. A lot of things are coming out of a lot of teams. It doesn’t just depend on me. At the moment, I’m an Espanyol player. I don’t have a date to decide.”

Door open for Barcelona. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)

When further probed about his previous comments which suggested that he would not consider such a move, the goalkeeper explained:

“No, in the end, as I said, there are many things, and it doesn’t just depend on me, but on many factors. The decision isn’t mine alone, so I’ll speak with people whose opinion I trust, and we’ll evaluate all the available options.”

On whether he is thinking about the potential reaction of the Espanyol fans if he made the switch, Garcia replied:

“No, I haven’t. I am calm, focused on my thoughts and feelings, and also on the feelings of the people who matter to me, and that’s it.”

As far as his entourage is concerned, there is a strong belief that Garcia’s move to Barcelona will go through this summer despite the concerns about the potential fallout.

The player’s refusal to outright reject the idea suggests that he might be open to the cross-town switch.