Joan Garcia moves to Barcelona as Ter Stegen replacement

The transfer of Joan Garcia from Espanyol to Barcelona has been a major talking point in
football this summer. The 24-year-old goalkeeper is set to join the Catalan giants, but the deal
has faced several hurdles. Here’s a look at the full saga, including the setbacks that delayed the
move.
Barcelona identified Garcia as their top target to replace Marc-Andre ter Stegen, who has been
their main goalkeeper for a decade. Garcia impressed at Espanyol, making 145 saves with a
73.71% save percentage in the 2024-25 La Liga season, despite his team finishing 14th. His
performances caught the eye of clubs like Arsenal and Newcastle, but Barcelona moved quickly
to secure his signature. The deal involves paying Garcia’s €25 million release clause, with the
goalkeeper expected to sign a six-year contract until 2031. This will see his salary rise from
€300,000 a year at Espanyol to around €3 million per season at Barcelona, a massive pay
increase.
However, the transfer hasn’t been straightforward. One major setback was Barcelona’s
financial fair play (FFP) issues. The club has struggled to register new players, as seen with Dani
Olmo and Pau Victor last season. Garcia’s camp made it clear he would not join if there were
risks of not being registered or being sent on loan. They also insisted he wouldn’t compete with
ter Stegen for the starting spot, demanding guarantees he’d be the first-choice goalkeeper.
These conditions caused delays as Barcelona worked to meet La Liga’s financial rules.
Another issue was the contract length. Initially, reports suggested Garcia would sign a five-year
deal, but conflicting stories emerged. Some sources, like El Chiringuito, claimed he had already
signed, while others said the deal was still being finalized. Eventually, Barcelona revised the
contract to six years, which helped spread the transfer cost for financial reasons. This change
was agreed last week, with improved terms for Garcia in the later years of his deal.
The timing of the transfer also faced setbacks. Barcelona planned to pay the release clause
earlier, but delays pushed the payment to the end of the week or early next week. Despite this,
Garcia’s agents met with Barcelona officials, including Deco, to finalize details. The deal is now
close to completion, with Garcia set to become Barcelona’s first summer signing.
The transfer has sparked mixed reactions. Some fans are excited about Garcia’s potential, with
former goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny calling him “the best in La Liga.” Others are concerned
about ter Stegen’s future, as he’s reportedly unhappy and may face a tough decision about
staying. Despite the setbacks, Barcelona’s determination to sign Garcia shows their ambition to
refresh their squad for the 2025-26 season.