Change of plan! Barcelona alter agreement with Joan Garcia as incoming goalkeeper to sign even longer contract upon €25m transfer from Espanyol

Barcelona have agreed to meet Garcia's release clause of €25 million (£21m/$29m) and are negotiating personal terms with the goalkeeper. As per Mundo Deportivo, the Spanish champions has decided to now offer Garcia an extra year on his contract, keeping him at the club till 2031. The new adjustments have been made for the player to benefit financially.

The new contractual arrangements address the amortisation period, allowing the club to distribute costs over time. This helps clubs comply with Financial Fair Play regulations, especially since player wages are now also accounted for under La Liga's updated policy. By extending Garcia's term for a year, it will align with fair play rules and enable Garcia to earn better. To facilitate this, Barcelona have improved the terms for the goalkeeper's last year, ensuring that even if he earns less in the initial years, the club will compensate him in his final season.

This strategy is not new and has also been used in Lamine Yamal's six-year contract extension. Barcelona's sporting director Deco and representatives from Garcia's side recently met to discuss the new arrangements in contract. The last pending step in the deal completion is the transfer of the release clause to Espanyol with a Consumer Price Index adjustment.

With player contracts extended and progress made on Garcia's signing, Barcelona's next focus will be to sort out Marc-Andre ter Stegen's situation at the club. The German goalkeeper wants to continue at the club despite the Blaugrana being on the verge of signing Garcia. Ter Stegen is set to meet with club president Joan Laporta and coach Hansi Flick to understand and discuss his future at the club.