Barcelona are looking at potential signings to strengthen in midfield, and the latest profile the club have set their eyes on is Girona’s star player Aleix Garcia.
But — and there is always a big but with Barcelona transfer’s plans these days — the club’s uncertain financial state makes any permanent move very difficult indeed. Nor has the situation been helped by a recent low point in relations between the two sides.
After Gavi’s injury — and Oriol Romeu’s disappointing impact since arriving from Catalan neighbours Girona back in the summer — Barca boss Xavi made it known he is keen for new additions.
Pedri’s longer-than-expected absence with his most recent muscle injury — which is likely to rule him out of the Spanish Super Cup next week, too — has further highlighted the club’s struggles with depth in midfield. Barca president Joan Laporta and sporting director Deco are also convinced by the need to strengthen.
Coaching staff sources — who, like all those cited here, preferred to speak anonymously to protect their positions — have told The Athletic that Garcia is one of the most-appreciated figures they have scouted so far.
The midfielder is also very highly-regarded among Barcelona’s senior offices, and Garcia would be extremely keen on a potential move — he recently described Barca as “the club I’ve been following all my life” and said he “would love” to play for Xavi’s side.
Xavi, too, has already publicly admitted his admiration for Garcia, praising his “outstanding season” with Girona and describing him as somebody “capable of playing for Barcelona”.
However, Girona are not happy with the kind of pressure such comments have brought around one of their most important players, especially given the timing. They are enjoying the best season of their history and are currently second in La Liga, level on points with Real Madrid and seven ahead of fourth-placed Barcelona, who they comprehensively beat 4-2 back in December. Girona were not particularly happy with the way Barca conducted themselves during the signing of Romeu in the summer, either.
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Sources at Girona say the only way Garcia would leave mid-season would be if a club were to meet his release clause, which stands at €20million (£17.3m; $21.8m). The club do not plan to entertain negotiations on any other deal, not even if Romeu’s return was suggested as a makeweight. This is despite Girona’s sporting director Quique Carcel saying in November they would love to have the 32-year-old back at some point.
Romeu’s form has dropped in recent months (Pedro Salado/Getty Images)
Eric Garcia, currently starring on loan at Girona from Barcelona, will not be involved in any potential deal either. The 22-year-old centre-back’s contract at Barca runs until 2026, and Girona would likely struggle to meet his salary in any case. As it stands, Barca are still paying a significant part of his wages.
On Tuesday, Girona’s manager Michel was asked about Barca’s interest in Aleix Garcia. “I have the feeling that Aleix won’t leave,” he said. “It would hurt me if he does. It would be a really tough blow for us. We are not at the same level as those sorts of teams, but we want to keep growing. Having said that, I insist and believe that he’ll stay.”
Going back to the finances, €20million is comfortably beyond what Barca can afford right now. A loan deal until the end of the season is seen as the only feasible option at the moment — but that would depend on Girona changing their stance.
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Barcelona’s transfer plans: Vitor Roque, cover for Gavi, Oriol Romeu one to watch
In September, Barcelona had their spending cap cut to €270million by La Liga, with their wage bill standing at over €400m. Barcelona’s latest signing, 18-year-old striker Vitor Roque, is only being registered due to Gavi’s long-term injury.
La Liga’s rules on financial controls include a special section that gives clubs flexibility in case a registered player suffers an injury that will keep them out for longer than four months. According to article 77 of La Liga’s financial regulations, the affected club can register a replacement, so long as their wages do not exceed 80 per cent of the injured player’s salary.
Both Barcelona and La Liga sources have confirmed the salary space freed up in this case by Gavi’s absence will be more than enough to register Roque. But La Liga rules also state he can only be registered as a replacement for Gavi for four months.
The latest on this came from Xavi in his pre-match press conference on Wednesday, previewing his side’s trip to Las Palmas in La Liga on Thursday evening. He said he expected Roque’s registration would be completed “in a matter of hours” and that he hopes to have him in the squad.
“I don’t know if we can bring in any more players,” he added. “We’ll see what the club is capable of doing. At the moment there is no news, I am constantly talking to the presi (Laporta) and Deco.”
(Top photo: Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty Images)