Barcelona appear to have all but wrapped up a deal for Espanyol goalkeeper Joan Garcia if the latest coming out of the Catalan capital is to be believed. The 24-year-old has supposedly committed to making the switch from crosstown rivals Espanyol.
The Blaugrana had already agreed terms with Garcia over recent weeks, and he will sign a five-year deal with the club. Barcelona are scheduled to pay his €25m release clause at La Liga’s offices in Madrid next week, and the deal will then be completed. Significantly, Garcia has been told that he will arrive as the number one goalkeeper, and also been given guarantees that he will be registered – he shares agents with Dani Olmo, who had his struggles this season.
Joan García was the goalkeeper with the most saves (146) in La Liga during the 2024/25 season, surpassing Sergio Herrera (132) and Marko Dmitrović (104). In addition, he was the goalkeeper who made the most saves from shots from inside the box (88), and also the one who saves the…
— barcacentre (@barcacentre) June 4, 2025
How do Barcelona intend to register Joan Garcia?
Garcia’s impact on the salary limit this year will be a little over €10m, as estimated by Barcelona, accounting for €5m per one year of his contract in a transfer fee, which is ammortised, and Sport report that his salary will be €6m gross per season. The Catalan daily say that Barcelona believe they will get their VIP seats lease approved before the end of June, and thus will be operating in the so-called ‘1:1 rule’.
They go on to say that Barcelona have more or less the amount necessary on the verge of being saved as it is. Between the sell-on fee they will gain from Jean-Clair Todibo, the €6m they have made from Alex Valle’s switch to Como, and the exit of Ansu Fati to AS Monaco, they should have enough to register Garcia.
Garcia will be registered before other signings
Even if Barcelona are not in the ‘1:1 rule’, they will still be able to spend 60% of what they make, meaning they would not be that far of the total necessary to register Garcia even under those rules. Beyond that, Garcia has also been told that he will be registered as soon as possible, and that other potential signings would only be registered after Garcia.
