Latest news with #JoanGarcía
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Barcelona are now ‘very optimistic' about one summer signing
Barcelona are now 'very optimistic' about one summer signing The board at La Liga giants Barcelona are growing increasingly confident of striking a deal to sign Joan García from city rivals Espanyol this summer. That's according to Blaugrana insider Adrian Sanchez, who has on Saturday provided a fresh insight into the situation. Advertisement The name of goalkeeper Sanchez has of course dominated the headlines in Catalunya's capital over the course of the week to date. This comes after widespread confirmation was forthcoming that the 24-year-old has made his way firmly onto the summer transfer wishlist of the aforementioned Barcelona. Amid an ongoing search for reinforcements between the posts for next season, Deco and co. have identified the talented Joan as the ideal addition. And as alluded to above, if the latest word stemming from the media is anything to go by, the Spanish champions now appear increasingly likely to land their man. Advertisement As per a report from journalist Adrian Sanchez: 'Barcelona are now very optimistic about the signing of Joan García. Conor Laird – GSFN
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Barcelona's contract agreement with priority transfer target ‘almost done'
La Liga giants Barcelona are on the verge of wrapping up an agreement on the terms of a contract with a leading member of the club's summer transfer wishlist. The player in question? Joan García. It is of course common knowledge across all of Europe at present that Barcelona have set their sights firmly on a summer deal for goalkeeper Joan. Advertisement Amid an ongoing search for reinforcements between the posts, the Blaugrana have earmarked the 24-year-old – fresh off a spectacular season with Espanyol – as their first-choice option. And if the latest word stemming from the media on Saturday is anything to go by, then Deco and co, imminently, look set to land their man. As per a report from transfer insider Fabrizio Romano: 'The agreement between Barça and Joan García on long term deal is now very advanced, almost done. Negotiations underway with Spanish GK with club confident to get his green light in the upcoming days.' Once a full accord is reached with Joan and his entourage, Barcelona will then move to activate the shot-stopper's release clause. Conor Laird – GSFN
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
From Ekitike to Garnacho: transfers to look out for this summer
It's good news for anyone who enjoys the chaos of transfer deadline day: this summer there's not one but two to look forward to in the Premier League. Due to an unique registration period for the expanded Club World Cup, the window will open on Sunday 1 June until Tuesday 10 June before closing for a few days. It will then reopen on Monday 16 June until Monday 1 September. Here are a selection of players who could be on the move. Joan García (Espanyol) It's been another spectacular season for García, who was part of Spain's squad that won the gold medal at last summer's Olympics. In March, he became the first player to win La Liga's award for save of the month twice in a row and that has only added to his long list of admirers – especially given the 24-year-old has a €25m (£21m) release clause. Arsenal were thought to be leading the race even if García would be expected to be an understudy to David Raya, with Barcelona, Aston Villa, Newcastle and Inter among those hoping to persuade him otherwise. Marc Guéhi (Crystal Palace) The England international has only 12 months left on the contract he signed when he joined Crystal Palace from Chelsea in 2021 and is widely expected to leave Selhurst Park this summer. The big question is where he will end up after seeing four massive bids from Newcastle rejected last year and another worth up to £70m from Tottenham in January. Liverpool have also been strongly linked amid uncertainty over Ibrahima Konaté's future, while Chelsea are thought to be considering an attempt to bring Guéhi back to Stamford Bridge. There were reports that the 24-year-old is considering running down his contract at Selhurst Park after leading them to the FA Cup but can Palace afford to turn down big money again? Jobe Bellingham (Sunderland) With playoff hero Tommy Watson's departure to Brighton already signed and sealed, the Black Cats could be facing the prospect of losing one of their other talented teenagers in the coming weeks. Bellingham was in Germany this week to hold talks with Eintracht Frankfurt – who have qualified for next season's Champions League – and is also being courted by his older brother Jude's former employers, Borussia Dortmund, as well as RB Leipzig. Sunderland are understood to be determined to keep Bellingham and are likely to demand more than €30m (£25m), with his former club Birmingham also due a sell-on fee. Advertisement Related: Al-Nassr and Al-Hilal target Liverpool duo Luis Díaz and Darwin Núñez Hugo Ekitike (Eintracht Frankfurt) A hat-trick for France's Under 21s against England in March and the goal he scored against Tottenham in the Europa League underlined the former Paris St-Germain striker's potential. Ekitike stepped up for Eintracht Frankfurt when Omar Marmoush joined Manchester City in January, ending the season with 22 goals in 48 appearances in all competitions. But a reported asking price north of £80m for the 22-year-old who started his career at Reims might prove too high for most potential suitors, who are thought to include Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United. Jonathan David (Lille) His future has been a regular source of speculation over the past few windows and the Canada striker has already confirmed he will finally leave Lille this summer when his contract expires. Newly crowned Italian champions Napoli appear to be in pole position to sign David having held several rounds of talks with his representatives, although Aston Villa, Tottenham, West Ham and Juventus are also thought to have shown interest. The 25-year-old has previously made no secret of his desire to play in the Premier League. Alejandro Garnacho (Manchester United) It's unlikely that the latest academy graduate who could be shown the door at Old Trafford will be short of offers. After being left out of Manchester United's matchday squad against Aston Villa on the final day by Ruben Amorim, Garnacho's potential availability has alerted several clubs looking for a potential bargain. The Argentina forward is expected to cost around £40m if United allow him to leave, with Napoli – who tried to sign him in January – thought to be the early frontrunners. Chelsea have also been monitoring his situation. Bryan Mbeumo (Brentford) Brentford will not make it easy for any club who want to take a chance on the forward who ended the season with 20 Premier League goals. Mbeumo still has a year of his contract remaining plus an option to extend it by 12 months, even if manager Thomas Frank admitted after their win over Leicester that 'we are a selling club so if someone comes in with the right price …'. That is probably in the region of £60m, with Manchester United and Newcastle thought to be his most likely destination. Yoane Wissa – who just missed out on matching Mbeumo as they would have become the first duo to score 20 goals for the same club in a single season since Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mané in 2018-19 – is also expected to attract interest. Benjamin Sesko (RB Leipzig) 'I want to play for a club that suits me and brings out the best in me,' said the Slovenia striker this week. Whether that is finally Arsenal three years after Sesko first appeared on Mikel Arteta's radar when he was starring for Red Bull Salzburg as a teenager will be answered soon enough. The 21-year-old only managed 13 goals – one down on last year – as RB Leipzig struggled in the Bundesliga but fits the profile required at the Emirates given Arsenal's need for more firepower. Sporting's Viktor Gyökeres is also on Arteta's shortlist, while Chelsea have previously shown an interest in Sesko and could try to get involved if they miss out on other targets. Rayan Cherki (Lyon) Once seen as the bad boy of French football, some impressively mature performances for Lyon this season earned him a first senior call-up from Didier Deschamps and have also caught the attention of a certain Pep Guardiola. Manchester City are thought to have registered their interest in the 22-year-old as a potential replacement for Kevin De Bruyne, with Cherki available for just €30m (£22m). Morgan Gibbs-White of Nottingham Forest would be a much more expensive alternative and with Cherki understood to prefer to join a team playing in the Champions League, that could rule out a move to the red half of Manchester. Nico Williams (Athletic Bilbao) At one time he was in the shadow of his elder brother, Iñaki Williams, but it is the 22-year-old winger who is now the wanted man, Williams Sr having stayed in the Basque Country past his 30th birthday. While the elder brother now players for Ghana after gaining a single Spain cap almost a decade ago, Nico is familiar to English audiences as scorer of the first goal in the Euro 2024 final, in which he was named man of the match. That success came three months after he helped Athletic Bilbao win their first Copa del Rey. As the summer window approaches he has been linked with Real Madrid, Barcelona, Arsenal and Chelsea, among others, and has two more seasons on his contract with a release clause of €58m (£49m).
Forbes
3 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
Espanyol's Joan García: From Obscurity To Potential Barcelona Signing
The big hitters in European soccer rarely, if ever, shop at Espanyol. It's no slight on the Catalan club—fiercely proud and local as nearby colossus Barcelona takes on the world. Under coach Manolo González, Espanyol has just placed a reasonable 14th in La Liga. However, one of the main reasons for dodging demotion to the second tier by two points was not a potent offense or a watertight back four. Instead, the silhouette watching everything and intervening where necessary proved key: Joan García, the goalkeeper. As such, the 24-year-old boasts high-profile suitors as we move into the summer transfer window. Because getting cleaning sheets (where Espanyol ranked lowly) is a more collective effort, it makes better sense to look at individual performance metrics. García didn't record the best shot-stopping percentage in Spain's first division, but in terms of pure volume, he racked up the most saves (146), partly through having a lot of them to make in the first place. Another measure appears overly technical but is perhaps more helpful. According to FBref, the Spaniard had the highest PSxG-GA rating by far—an impressive 6.7. In human language, García should have let in way more goals than he did based on the supposed quality of strikes he faced. That, especially, indicates an excellent goalkeeper. It's all the more impressive when you consider García was not a well-known name just a few months ago. Yet to play for another professional club, he came through Espanyol's academy and, before 2024/25—where he played every league fixture—he'd only contested a smattering of minutes for the senior team. He was even second fiddle to Arnau Tenas when Spain's men collected Olympic gold in 2024. So what's next for Espanyol's numero uno after a breakout campaign? García, who says not all the noise surrounding his future is necessarily true, remains tight-lipped as he assesses his options (Catalan). 'I'm very calm, and whatever the decision, I will think about it carefully with my people, picking the best option for me,' he said via Catalunya Ràdio on Tuesday. So far, reports have linked him to rivaling Barça, and it would be a tough pill to take for Espanyol fans should he go there. Meanwhile, Premier League teams Arsenal, Aston Villa, and Newcastle United are seemingly interested. Conversely, as Mundo Deportivo reported today, the word from Espanyol's sporting director Fran Garagarza (Spanish) is there has been no concrete approach for García yet. Although well-stocked, Barça could do with a new face between the sticks. Swapping the calming beaches of Marbella for life in the fast lane again, Wojciech Szczęsny has performed well since ending his retirement to join the Blaugrana. Yet, even though Szczęsny may stay, he and Marc-André ter Stegen are well into their 30s, with Iñaki Peña the only current long-term replacement. As for English interest, Aston Villa is arguably most in need; Emiliano Martínez is probably leaving. Wherever the Spanish stopper goes, it should be for lots of money. García has a €25 million ($28 million) release clause, which is handy money for an entity like Espanyol, particularly given he would be on the market for €15 million ($17 million) had the club fallen out of the division. However, top-of-the-range goalkeepers can earn their employers points on the field and extra dollars from better league placings despite their position not being the most glamorous. García is debatably worth far more. Even so, his displays haven't been enough to earn a place in Spain head coach Luis de la Fuente's squad for the upcoming Nations League semifinals and maybe final. That's hardly surprising, as he's yet to earn a call-up to the seniors. Still, club trainer González knows he has an asset whom he's afraid to lose. 'I always say there are cracks (stars) in every team; there are Cristianos (Ronaldo) Messis (Lionel), and we count on one in goal,' González said back in February. 'There's always fear when there's a release clause, which I would have paid. He's a keeper with a young age and (good) footwork who thwarts aerial attacks and makes saves. National team? I would select him without doubt,' he added. The outlook is not too bleak for Espanyol. Its Chinese president, Chen Yansheng, targeted Champions League soccer within three years when the Rastar Group took control of the club in 2016. That has never come close to happening, but its main aim was to avoid relegation this season, which it narrowly achieved. García could become its third-highest sale after Borja Iglesias and Mario Hermoso, and supporters will hope the Parakeets use the €25 million ($28 million) well. Whoever spends the money on Garcia, one of the best goalkeepers, will hope this wasn't a freak season and that he's the real deal.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Key Espanyol pair hint at departures after securing La Liga survival
Two leading members of the first-team ranks at La Liga outfit Espanyol on Saturday hinted at impending exits from the club. This, of course, comes fresh off a night to remember for the Catalans. Espanyol marked their return to action yesterday evening, as part of the final round of fixtures of the campaign in Spain's top-flight. Advertisement The matchup marked nothing short of a crucial one for Manolo González's troops, who headed into proceedings in the knowledge that their top-flight status for next season was far from secured. When all was said and done, though, the Periquitos got the job done, emerging 2-0 victors over Las Palmas to put themselves out of reach of 18th-placed Leganés. And yet, amid the post-match celebrations, there were a pair of bittersweet moments, too. This came upon star goalkeeper Joan García and captain Javi Puado all but confirming that their futures lie away from the RCDE Stadium. Speaking on the back of the full-time whistle, as per Mundo Deportivo, shot-stopper Joan explained: Advertisement 'Everyone knows the situation the club and I are in. Whatever happens, I'm proud to leave Espanyol in the First Division and proud to let my family see it.' From here, attacker Puado then went on to add: 'This will be my home no matter what happens.' Conor Laird – GSFN
