Joan García is already sure about it: he will play for Barça no matter what. The young Catalan goalkeeper has given his final "yes" to the blaugrana club and will sign for five seasons.
The deal will be officially announced this week, once Barça finalizes the last contractual details and defines the future of their current goalkeepers.
Newcastle was very close to signing him
What few people knew is that Joan García has turned down a multi-million euro offer from Newcastle, who had been pushing for weeks to secure his signing. According to what was explained last night on El Chiringuito, emissaries from the English club traveled to Barcelona fifteen days ago to try to convince him.
They even offered to pay his release clause to Espanyol, willing to make him a starter in the Premier League. But the goalkeeper asked for time: he wanted to wait for Barça.
That's what happened. The call from Deco and the direct interest from Hansi Flick outweighed the English millions.
The goalkeeper has always dreamed of wearing the blaugrana jersey, although it hasn't been easy to make the decision. Joan García has had to process the direct move from Espanyol to the eternal rival, something that doesn't happen often and brings a certain amount of media and social tension.
Ter Stegen aims for Manchester United
But Barça's sports project, their commitment to young players, and the trust of the new coach have been decisive.
Meanwhile, from the offices, Joan Laporta is already working on the other part of the equation: Ter Stegen's departure. According to Eduardo Inda, the blaugrana president is pulling strings to place the German at Manchester United, who are looking for a reliable goalkeeper after Onana's departure. The English club appeals to Ter Stegen and the deal would free up salary cap space and facilitate the generational change.
Barça needs to rejuvenate the goal and cut costs, and Joan García meets all the requirements. At 23 years old, he is an under-21 international, has shined with Espanyol, and has a potential that excites the coaching staff. In addition, his €25 million clause hasn't increased, since he hasn't been drafted to the senior team, and that has made the deal easier.
Flick rules out a loan for Joan García
Flick's plan is clear: count on Joan from now on and not loan him out. Although there were talks to send him for a year to Valencia or Sevilla, the final decision is for him to compete from day one.
He will be the natural replacement for Ter Stegen if the German leaves. If not, he will be serious competition. The message is clear: nobody has a guaranteed spot, not even the sacred cows.