Manchester City Initiate Talks With This Espanyol Goalkeeper: Will They Get Him? | OneFootball

Mark Brus, in his exclusive report for CaughtOffside, has stated that Manchester City are targeting a new goalkeeper in the summer transfer window and have started talks with the Espanyol goalkeeper, Joan Garcia. They will also be facing competition from the Premier League rivals, Arsenal.

After some sensational seasons, Manchester City are struggling in the ongoing seasons, especially in front of the goal. Ederson might go on to leave the club in the summer, and Pep Guardiola might not make Stefan Ortega his number-one goalkeeper. Hence, he will also be looking to leave the club in the summer.

Guardiola has Digo Costa of FC Porto as his number one target. However, City do face competition from Bayern Munich for his signing. If Guardiola fails to sign him, then he has Garcia as his number two goalkeeping target.

BARCELONA, SPAIN – FEBRUARY 01: Joan Garcia of RCD Espanyol celebrates victory following the LaLiga match between RCD Espanyol de Barcelona and Real Madrid CF at RCDE Stadium on February 01, 2025 in Barcelona, Spain. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)

Garcia’s physical presence is matched by agility and sharp reflexes, critical for a goalkeeper. García’s professionalism shines through his consistent performances. His right-footed precision, calm mindset under pressure, and dedication to improvement reflect a mature athlete. So, he definitely has the qualities that have attracted the interest of City.

Will City get him?

The Espanyol goalkeeper has conceded 35 goals and kept 4 clean sheets in 25 matches in the La Liga 2024/2025 season. That means when Garcia Pons is in goal, his team concedes a goal every 64 minutes. Joan Garcia’s per 90 minutes goals conceded stat is 1.4. In terms of raw goalkeeping, he’s saved 91 of the 127 shots faced, meaning Joan Garcia’s save percentage is 71.65%.

He is a 23-year-old talent and has all the prime years ahead of him. However, it is most likely that Arsenal will beat Manchester City for his signing. They have been in talks and scouting him since last summer, right after Aaron Ramsdale left the club. So, they are quite optimistic that they won’t have any issues regarding verbal agreement with the player.

So, Pep Guardiola and Co. will definitely need to work a lot harder to get him to their side. However, tables can turn any time in transfer windows, and hence it remains to be seen what happens finally regarding the future of Garcia.