‘Follow him closely’: Arsenal keeping tabs on Joan Garcia as Espanyol hold out for release clause

Arsenal are closely monitoring Espanyol goalkeeper Joan Garcia, who is also attracting interest from Barcelona and Aston Villa, according to Marca (page 9).

The Gunners are preparing for a busy summer transfer window. A backup goalkeeper could be one of the priorities with Neto poised to return to Bournemouth after his loan stint.

Garcia has been a long-term target for the Gunners and Marca report that they are one of the clubs that ‘follow him closely’ alongside Barcelona, Real Madrid and Villa.

Espanyol are reluctant to accept anything less than Garcia’s £25 million clause, and it is claimed that the value could increase with a maiden Spain call-up on Monday.

Arsenal set to face transfer tussle for Garcia

The Gunners were in a strong position to recruit the 24-year-old last summer. They agreed personal terms with the shot-stopper, but a deal did not materialise before the deadline.

Arsenal took a prolonged period to offload Aaron Ramsdale to Southampton. They made a late £17m offer for Garcia, but Espanyol wanted his release clause (£25m for the final 15 days) to be paid in full.

Mikel Arteta’s side opted to pursue a short-term alternative in Neto but are likely to return for Garcia. the competition appears fierce this time around with Barcelona and Real Madrid in the mix.

However, the main threat could come through Premier League rivals Villa. Unai Emery’s side could guarantee him an assured starting role with Emiliano Martinez ‘expected‘ to depart.

It is left to be seen whether Arsenal can pull of a deal amid the increased competition. As per Mundo Deportivo, the club may have to pay another £4m extra if Garcia is called up by Spain.

Stats from Sofascore.com