Spanish giants target Manchester City defender

BARCELONA have an eye firmly fixed on the future as they make Manchester City defender Eric Garcia their top transfer priority ahead of the new season.

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But Manchester City still want to tie down the Spanish defender to a new long-term contract. The 19-year-old left Barça’s La Masia academy three years ago and has since broken into Pep Guardiola’s first team at City. But with the youngster’s current contract due to expire in 2022, the Catalans want to bring Garcia back to Camp Nou with the view of succeeding defender-in-chief, Gerard Pique, in the long-term.

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Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola currently has no plans to see promising youngster Eric Garcia leave the club (Image: Sourced).

Proving his star quality to Guardiola, Garcia has featured prominently since the resumption of the Premier League, starting the clash with Liverpool in the league, as well as the FA Cup semi-final against Arsenal. Moving ahead of John Stones and Nicolas Otamendi in the pecking order, he is also expected to start the Champions League last-16 second leg against Real Madrid.

The director of football at the recently dethroned English champions was set to sit down with the player’s representatives to discuss a new deal before the Covid-19 outbreak. According to reports which have surfaced in Spain, Garcia may consider his future if Guardiola, who is in the final 12 months of his contract at the Etihad Stadium, decides to leave the Premier League club. The City boss has, however, so far refused to say whether he will commit to a further extension.

Eric García in Improved Manchester City Contract Talks Amid ...
Manchester City defender Eric Garcia’s current contract at the English club is due to expire in 2022 (Image: Sourced).

In July, Guardiola said he was confident that Garcia would sign a new long-term deal but Barça remain convinced they can persuade him to return. “I don’t have any updates [except] he has one more year on his contract. If Barcelona want him, they must call him,” Guardiola was quoted as saying.

“We are going to try convince him to stay here for many, many, many years. I am confident he will stay, but in the end, it is his decision. He knows we want him, but it was the same with Leroy [Sane]. We want him, but he doesn’t want to stay, we cannot do anything else. He knows, his agent knows, his family knows that we want him. If Barcelona want him, they have to call [director of football] Txiki Begiristain,” added Guardiola.