Arsenal have been linked with a move for Espanyol goalkeeper Joan Garcia, as Mikel Arteta seeks out a long-term replacement for Aaron Ramsdale.
Ramsdale is expected to depart this summer, having lost his starting spot to David Raya, and with the Spaniard set to be the Arsenal number one, Arteta will need a backup option.
There are now strong links between Arsenal and Garcia, who recently helped Espanyol gain promotion back to the Spanish top flight. The 23-year-old is inexperienced but is also coveted by Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur.
Arsenal goalkeeping coach Inaki Cana is reportedly driving the club’s interest in the Spanish goalkeeper, but despite his quality, Garcia is a player not many fans will know a lot about.
Arsenal Insider spoke to Spanish football expert Liam Bambridge, from the Segunda Spanish Podcast, about the qualities that Garcia has shown at Espanyol, and what could bring to Arsenal, should a deal be completed.
Spanish expert gives verdict on Arsenal target Joan Garcia
Firstly, what similarities, if any, do you see between Joan Garcia and David Raya?
“I would say that Garcia has many of the same attributes – good feet, decent on crosses, good shot-stopper,” Bambridge explained.
What kind of style do Espanyol use in terms of playing out the back – does Garcia perform well with his feet or as a sweeper?
Espanyol are happy to play out from the back, and Garcia is very assured with the ball at his feet.
One thing which Mikel Arteta values Raya highly for is his ability to claim the ball in the air and prevent chances on set pieces. What is Garcia like on set pieces?
I think he is very good on set pieces – he made a high-profile error in the play-off final first leg which ended up costing his team – they lost 1-0 – but overall he is confident and makes very few mistakes under the high ball.
Garcia only came into the Espanyol side in recent months, replacing Fernando Pacheco. What was the reasoning behind the decision – was it injury or form-related, or did Espanyol spot Garcia’s potential to become a starter?
It was purely down to Pacheco’s injury that he got his chance – and once he was in, he did so well that he could not really be taken out of the side.
Although he has not been with the B team this season, it may also have helped that Manolo Gonzalez stepped up from the ‘Filial’ (B Team) to coach the first team two games after Garcia came into the side, so presumably he would have been particularly comfortable to give a young player an extended run. However, regardless of that, Garcia has given him very little reason to bench him.
Garcia has limited experience and only speaks Spanish. How vocal is he with his defenders?
I don’t think he is the most vocal, but that is not a huge surprise – let’s not forget that he had only started two first-team games before January, and he has in front of him two hugely experienced centre-halves – Leandro Cabrera and Fernando Calero who probably aren’t going to take too kindly to being ordered about!
He is a young man who exudes confidence in everything that he does – even after that bad mistake in the first leg of the final, within 15 minutes of the start of the second leg, he was flying out of his goal to head a through ball clear.
I think he has a very good temperament for one who is still so inexperienced at first-team level – and he is decisive in everything that he does.
Reports indicate that Espanyol will look for a fee of around £21m. How well do they value Garcia’s ability, and are they in a position where they can turn down a significant fee to keep him?
Espanyol are not in a good place financially, and he is by far their most valuable asset right now. I would be surprised if they insisted on the full £21m, although they do have a history of digging their heels in and demanding that the ‘claúsula de recisión’ (release clause) be paid in full.
However, I cannot imagine that they would accept less than £15m, which even in Premier League terms , is a lot of money for someone who has only made two La Liga starts.
Overall, do you think Garcia is ready to be the number two at a club where he may be thrust into action in the Champions League, or would his development be better spent in at a club where he would be starting regularly?
I think he is a hugely promising young keeper, but for me, it is a big ask for him to replace Ramsdale as Arsenal’s number two.
However, Arteta was massively questioned when he brought in Raya, and his judgement has been shown to be very sound in that instance.
I don’t think we have seen enough of him at the top level yet to be totally convinced that this would be a shrewd investment, but he is getting a lot of attention at the moment from some very big clubs so I suspect that one of them will take the plunge this summer.
Arsenal target Joan Garcia’s stats for Espanyol
Garcia has made just 29 senior appearances in his career, with three coming in La Liga and just two of those from the start.
In these 29 appearances, he has kept 13 clean sheets and has conceded just 21 goals.
21 appearances came in the 2023-24 season as he replaced Pacheco in goal in March, and he has not looked back since, starting both legs of the playoff final as Espanyol returned to La Liga.
Garcia ranks top out of all goalkeepers in the ‘next 14 leagues,’ referring to competitions outside Europe’s top five leagues, for goals conceded, save percentage, and crucially, the percentage of crosses stopped, highlighting the similarity he has with Raya.
READ MORE: All Mikel Arteta signings at Arsenal ranked from worst to best
Although inexperienced, it is clear why Garcia is of interest to Arsenal, with his quick progression, as well as his profile standing out, but there is still a massive element of risk in spending a fairly hefty fee on such an inexperienced player.
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