 |
Joan Garcia is Barca's first new signing in the 2025/26 season. |
Joan Garcia is Barca's first new signing of the 2025/26 season, a deal that many people consider "unbelievable" when the club previously seemed to have no intention of changing the goal. Ter Stegen, as captain, had almost no competitors. Moreover, coming from RCD Espanyol - a rival neighboring team - makes Garcia wearing the "Blaugrana" shirt even more surprising.
However, behind the scenes, Barca's board of directors made a decisive decision. "Joan Garcia's signing was a great idea for Deco. We knew Ter Stegen was not fully recovered, and the coach wanted certainty in this position," President Joan Laporta told Mundo Deportivo. With a fee of 25 million euros plus CPI, Barcelona did not miss the opportunity.
Garcia’s form for Espanyol last season was enough to convince even the most skeptical: 146 saves in 38 La Liga games (an average of 3.8 per game), and an outstanding goal-savings ratio of 8.59 “saved” goals compared to expected (xGoT 58.5). At 24, the Spanish goalkeeper is seen as a long-term guarantee for the Camp Nou goal.
Ter Stegen's return to the bench means Garcia has little real competition. Wojciech Szczesny - brought in as a backup - is unlikely to be able to provide the pressure Ter Stegen once did when fit.
 |
Barcelona stars confident ahead of new season. |
Joan Garcia is not fazed by the challenge. As soon as he left Espanyol, he decided to join a club of sufficient stature and willing to give him the starting position. Barcelona pledged their faith in him, considering Garcia an option for both the present and the future. Hansi Flick was also straightforward with Ter Stegen, affirming that Joan Garcia would be the number one goalkeeper.
The friendly match against Vissel Kobe was Garcia’s first “test” in his new shirt. He made a strong impression in the first training sessions with excellent reflexes and great space control, to the point that even Szczesny had to praise him.
Joan Garcia even returned to training four days early, demonstrating his desire to quickly integrate and assert himself. Barcelona need a solid goalkeeper in a sensitive transition period, and Joan Garcia is ready to write a new story in the Camp Nou goal.
Source: https://znews.vn/ter-stegen-lui-lai-joan-garcia-buoc-len-post1571964.html
Comment (0)