Barcelona make surprise transfer move for new goalkeeper despite having captain Marc-Andre ter Stegen & Wojciech Szczesny in their squad

According to a report from AS, Barcelona are prepared to make a summer transfer swoop for the highly-talented Espanyol goalkeeper Joan Garcia. The Catalans fear that they might not have a world-class No.1 operating between the sticks next season, as the club has already begun to lose its confidence in Ter Stegen. There's also uncertainty over Szczesny continuing beyond the end of the current season, having previously come out of retirement while the German was out injured.

Garcia has proved himself to be, statistically, the best goalkeeper in Spain this season, registering the highest save percentage and 'saves per 90' figures in La Liga. His incredible consistency has attracted interest not only from Barcelona, but also from the Premier League, with Arsenal tabling an offer for him last summer. Additionally, Aston Villa sporting director Monchi has also confirmed the club's interest in the Espanyol star.

Given the number of suitors ready to acquire Garcia's services, Barca are preparing to make the first move. The club is aware that Ter Stegen, who turned 33 recently, may be beyond his peak years, especially after the Germany international suffered a ruptured knee tendon in September. The goalkeeper has since returned to full fitness, even starting and playing the full 90 minutes in Barca's 2-1 win over Real Valladolid earlier this month.

In a recent interview with SPORT, Szczesny declined to confirm his long-term future at Barcelona, despite revealing that the club has offered him a two-year contract extension. The Polish goalkeeper stated that he is not ready to make a final decision just yet, adding that he plans to discuss the matter with his wife before reaching a conclusion.

Szczesny said: "I will not hide that I have an offer to continue at Barcelona for two more years. They have already presented it to me, but I have asked for time. I need to decide with my family what is best for all of us. My wife will be the one to make the decision, whether we stay or go to Marbella to play golf.

"I owe it to her to decide this together, and we have not done that yet. She makes most of the decisions, and I am not ashamed of it. Honestly, I do not know what will happen, and I say that sincerely. We will decide this month because we need to sort out logistics, such as schools or moving, depending on what we choose. As of now, nothing is certain. We are thinking about it."

The Blaugrana are just one win away from sealing the Liga title, as their lead at the top of the table extended to seven points following a thrilling 4-3 win over arch-rivals Real Madrid on Sunday. They can wrap up the title race on Thursday, May 15, when they take on local rivals Espanyol, although if Real Madrid don't beat Mallorca on May 14, the trophy will be theirs without having to kick a ball.