Joan Garcia turns down bigger Man City, Arsenal & Newcastle offers to accept Barcelona deal with €25m transfer to La Liga champions imminent

The 24-year-old goalkeeper gave the green light to Barca after a final meeting with his agents and family. Despite receiving attractive offers from top Premier League clubs, including Arsenal and Manchester City, Garcia prioritised the La Liga champions, Mundo Deportivo reports. Barcelona will activate the shot-stopper's €25 million (£21m/$28m) release clause, with the player set to sign a five-year deal and join up with Hansi Flick’s squad ahead of pre-season.

Garcia had previously been in advanced talks with Arsenal, who identified him as the ideal backup to David Raya. The Gunners had reportedly agreed on personal terms with the Spaniard last summer, but negotiations fell apart when they couldn’t match Espanyol’s valuation. City were reportedly also interested in Espanyol's young goalkeeper, seeing him as a potential option amid uncertainty over Ederson’s future. Pep Guardiola publicly praised Garcia but confirmed the club asked both of their current keepers to stay.

Garcia's move from Espanyol to Barcelona marks a rare transfer between city rivals. The 24-year-old will become only the fourth player in the modern era to make a direct move between the two clubs.

Barcelona are expected to make the signing official in the coming days, with Garcia set to join the squad for pre-season. After completing this deal, the Catalan giants are likely to target more signings, with Marcus Rashford and Luis Diaz among the players being linked with a move to Camp Nou.