24-Year-Old Barcelona Player Wanted By Premier League Clubs: Will Barca Let Him Leave? | OneFootball

Graeme Bailey on TBR Football has reported that Eric Garcia has fallen out of favour at Barcelona and might be on his move away from the Catalan club in the ongoing winter transfer window. Aston Villa, Newcastle United, and Tottenham Hotspur are interested in the Spaniard, as all of them are in dire need of a centre-back.

Pau Cubarsi and Inigo Martinez were the preferred centre-back pairing when the season started for Barcelona. When Martinez got injured, Ronald Araujo made his comeback to the team. With Andreas Christensen also in the mix, Garcia’s game time has already suffered, and he is not guaranteed a starting position in the team.

The Spaniard is just 24-years-old and still has age on his side. He would want to move to a club where he will get regular game time and will be valued. His valued traits are composure on the ball and intelligent game reading, which are crucial traits for a modern centre-back. His strengths include excellent distribution, often initiating attacks from the back, and leadership, having captained youth teams.

BARCELONA, SPAIN – AUGUST 12: Eric García of FC Barcelona looks on prior to the Joan Gamper Trophy match between FC Barcelona and AS Monaco at Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys on August 12, 2024 in Barcelona, Spain. (Photo by Eric Alonso/Getty Images)

However, his physicality and aerial presence have been critiqued. Despite these limitations, his maturity beyond his years and tactical understanding could be pivotal for teams valuing ball-playing defenders, enhancing the defensive line with his calm and strategic positioning.

Will Barcelona let him leave?

Garcia has conceded seven goals and kept three clean sheets in 11 matches in the La Liga 2024/2025 season. That means when Garcia is on the pitch, his team concedes a goal every 76 minutes. Moreover, he’s made 1.86 tackles and 1.19 interceptions for every 90 minutes he was on the pitch. Garcia is also racking up about 1.69 clearances at the same time.

Garcia came off the bench in the recent match in the UEFA Champions League against Benfica and scored a crucial header to bring his team to parity. Barca had been struggling with financial issues and were looking to offload players to reduce the wage bill. However, Laporta’s team are back to the 1:1 rule, and now they are not in a hurry to sell players. Therefore, even if they want to sell the Spaniard, they will be looking to get the maximum amount of profit through his departure.