Real Madrid didn't want to get into the fight. Although Joan García was one of the sensations of LaLiga, and Real Madrid scouts had been following his progress for months, Florentino Pérez and his board decided not to make a move.
Barça had a clear path to sign a good, attractive, and affordable goalkeeper. Why? There's a clear and strategic explanation behind it.
A goalkeeper liked by the coaches… but not for Madrid
Joan García has impressed half of Europe with his performance at Espanyol. Decisive saves, reliability between the posts, and a leadership quality unusual for his youth.
Barça has moved ahead and has already finalized his signing. Real Madrid, which also had him on its radar, chose not to interfere. It wasn't due to a lack of sporting interest.
According to sources close to Real Madrid, Joan is liked, but he doesn't fit into the immediate project. With Lunin renewed and Kepa out, the goal already has two defined names: Thibaut Courtois as the undisputed starter and the Ukrainian as a reliable backup.
Joan doesn't want to be third. Nor the second. At Real Madrid, the bench awaited him, and at Barça, he'll have real chances to play.
Courtois is undisputed for Xabi Alonso. Lunin has left a good impression in the first training sessions. The new coach doesn't want to disrupt the harmony with a new goalkeeper.
He rejected Joan García even at the cost of admitting he could strengthen the great rival's goal. In fact, Espanyol preferred to sell him to Real Madrid. The matter was debated, but it didn't move forward.
Florentino already looks at another target
Moreover, Real Madrid has other plans for the future between the posts. Florentino wants the next big signing in goal to be Spanish and high-profile. Joan García fits the first criterion, but not so much the second.
The chosen one is Álex Padilla (Real Sociedad), who is highly regarded by the sporting management. In addition, he's more aligned with the club's signing policy.
At Valdebebas, they don't want to repeat past mistakes. Betting on young goalkeepers without guaranteed minutes has led to stagnation and aimless loans. What happened with Altube or Pacheco serves as a warning.
Florentino won't block Barça's deals
Another important detail: Florentino Pérez doesn't want to make the mistake of signing on impulse just to take players away from Barça. It's happened before, with mediocre results.
The Joan García case has been evaluated coldly: if Barça wanted him, go ahead. But Madrid won't waste resources on a position that's already covered.
Moreover, the club believes that signing Joan García now would hinder Lunin's progress and unnecessarily increase spending on salaries. The priority is to keep financial balance.
Opportunity for Barça, Madrid's strategy
Real Madrid has let Joan García go with full awareness of what it was doing. It hasn't been a lack of interest, but strategy. Barça is strengthening itself with a goalkeeper for the present and future, and at Bernabéu, they keep following their roadmap.
Florentino Pérez is already clear: in goal, everything is under control. There's Courtois for a long time.