Arsenal interest in €25m Joan Garcia confirmed | OneFootball

Arsenal’s interest in Espanyol’s Joan Garcia has been confirmed, with the goalkeeper a likely target if Aaron Ramsdale leaves.

Joan Garcia playing for Espanyol (Photo via Garcia on Instagram)

Jordan Campbell reports for The Athletic that if Aaron Ramsdale leaves this summer, Espanyol goalkeeper Joan Garcia is high on Arsenal’s list of potential replacements.

Garcia reportedly has a €25m (£21.2m) release clause, with Arsenal hoping to bring in at least that much for Ramsdale’s sale.

However, there has been little movement on Ramsdale’s case so far, with Newcastle United seemingly out of the race.

Arsenal’s Aaron Ramsdale applauds as he celebrates at the end of the English Premier League football match between Brentford and Arsenal at the Gtech Community Stadium in London on November 25, 2023. (Photo by ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP via Getty Images)

Barcelona journalist Gerard Romero recently claimed that Garcia would soon be an Arsenal player, with La Grada reporting that the goalkeeper has various options on the table for him.

As well as Arsenal, Real Madrid are following his progress, and multiple English teams are interested.

“I have always felt the love of the fans,” Garcia said recently. “Very happy that people are with me.

“And for that part (transfers), don’t worry, I’m very good here and above all I would ask you to be calm and encourage us.”

BARCELONA, SPAIN: Joan Garcia (top right) among RCD Espanyol players wearing black t-shirts in protest against referees prior to the LaLiga Santander match between RCD Espanyol and UD Almeria at RCDE Stadium on June 04, 2023. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)

Garcia has been called up for the Spanish Olympic team, after impressing with Espanyol in the second half of the 2023/24 campaign.

It took a while for the goalkeeper to break into the team, only making his first league start on March 2nd. But he then locked down his starting spot, maintaining an 82.5% save percentage and comfortably outperforming his post-shot expected goals against.

Garcia also collected a very high number of crosses (2.14 per 90), at a 16.1% cross prevention rate, even higher than David Raya’s 13.0%. Raya is in the top 1% of all goalkeepers in that statistic.

Standing at 6’3″, the goalkeeper doesn’t lack for height, which certainly helps with claiming all those crosses.

There’s also a connection between Garcia and Arsenal goalkeeper coach Inaki Cana, with eagle-eyed fans spotting that the coach follows Garcia on social media.