Revealed: Why Pablo Garcia's dream Arsenal transfer collapsed on deadline day as Racing Santander swoop in

Arsenal narrowly missed out on signing Garcia from Betis during the closing stages of the transfer window. The 20-year-old was reportedly on the verge of moving to north London before Racing Santander completed a £4.3 million swoop.

The Gunners had planned to sign the promising right-sided attacker and immediately send him out on loan to gain first-team experience. However, Racing Santander ultimately secured a permanent, shared ownership agreement.

Racing Santander’s sporting director, Chema Aragon, confirmed how close Arsenal came to securing Garcia's signature. He revealed that the Premier League side were leading the race right up until the final hours of the window.

"It seemed like it was done with Arsenal, and then we came in too on loan," Aragon explained to the press. "Yesterday things changed, and what seemed to be a loan turned into a shared ownership deal.

"I would describe Pablo Garcia as Raul Gonzalez Blanco, what he has above all else is a nose for goal, that killer instinct, and he usually puts it away. My biggest concern was losing that goal-scoring ability for a while after Andres Martin’s injury. When the real opportunity arose to sign that player (Garcia), we didn’t hesitate for a second."

The transfer brings an emotional end to Garcia's 14-year association with Betis. The forward joined the club at the age of five but struggled for regular minutes under manager Manuel Pellegrini last season.

Garcia managed just two starts in Liga and one in the Europa League during the previous campaign. After leaving the training ground in tears on Tuesday, he penned a heartfelt open letter to the Betis supporters.

"I arrived at Betis when I was five years old. I’m leaving after almost fourteen years growing up with these thirteen stripes," Garcia wrote. "Here I learned to play, to compete, to lose, to win and to dream. I went through all the categories of the Betis youth academy until fulfilling the dream of debuting with the first team.

"I experienced special goals and moments that will always stay with me. Betis has been my home since I was a child. And now, although it’s time to move on, there’s something that doesn’t change. I arrived as a Betis fan and I’m leaving as a footballer."

For Garcia, the switch offers a crucial opportunity to secure regular first-team football in Spain. He will be expected to make an immediate impact at his new club. The 20-year-old will now look to settle quickly into his new surroundings. He could make his debut when Santander face Rayo Vallecano in Liga this weekend.