Barcelona Will Soon Complete Joan Garcia's Transfer From Espanyol

JAKARTA - Barcelona will soon sign Joan Garcia after using the Espanyol goalkeeper's release clause worth 25 million euros.

The Blaugrana ordered payment of the clause, which must be paid to La Liga in advance, on Friday, June 13, 2025, local time, with the transfer expected to be completed in the coming days.

According to ESPN reports, the league still needs to disburse funds and validate operations before the deal can be finalized.

The 24-year-old has approved a six-year contract with Barcelona, valid until 2031, and joined forces to strengthen the position currently filled by Marc-Andre ter Stegen, Wojciech Szczesny, and Inaki Pena.

There was also interest from the Premier League in Garcia--with Arsenal signing the defender last summer as well as Manchester City, Aston Villa, Newcastle United, and Bournemouth all of which were linked this year-- but Barcelona have won the race to get their signatures.

Espanyol would rather not lose it to their city rivals, but have nothing to do to prevent the transfer as a fee of 25 million euros is a release clause written in his contract.

Garcia, who was born in Catalunya, joined Barcelona-based Espanyol in 2016 and developed through the club's academy. He finally made his first-team debut in 2021.

He helped Espanyol win promotions to La Liga in 2024. Then, he appeared in all 38 league games this season during Pericos and helped the team stay in La Liga until the last game.

Garcia received a warm welcome for some of his performances so far, including in a 1-0 win over Real Madrid in February 2025.