Joan Garcia opens door to Barcelona transfer as highly-rated goalkeeper admits he'd be 'excited' to play against current club Espanyol

Espanyol goalkeeper Joan Garcia has caught the attention of several top European clubs, with the likes of Arsenal and Manchester City reportedly in talks to sign the 23-year-old. In a recent interview with Catalunya Radio (h/t Reshad Rahman), Garcia has not ruled out a move away from Espanyol and admitted that it would be exciting for him to play against his current club, Barca's city rivals.

Camp Nou has emerged as the most likely destination for Joan Garcia in the summer. The Espanyol goalkeeper is also reportedly in discussions with Arsenal, should David Raya complete a reported move to Real Madrid. The Spaniard had kept quiet on the links with Barca out of respect for his boyhood club, Espanyol, but he has now broken his silence.

Garcia said: "It wouldn't be a problem to face Espanyol. It would also be nice to play against them. These are things that can happen, but I try to look on the positive side of things, and if it happens, I would be excited. I'm very calm, really. A lot of things are coming out on a lot of teams. It doesn’t just depend on me. At the moment, I'm an Espanyol player. I don’t have a date to decide."

Garcia signed a contract extension with Espanyol in 2023, keeping him at the club until June 30, 2028. This puts the Liga side in control when it comes to negotiations, with no immediate pressure to sell to their rivals. Reports suggest that the club have included a €25 million (£21m) release clause in Garcia's contract, meanwhile, and that could ultimately force them into a sale that they don't want to make.