BERLIN: Barcelona are signing goalkeeper Joan Garcia on a six-year contract until 2031 from crosstown rivals Espanyol, the Spanish champions said on Wednesday.
Barca said that 24-year-old Garcia would put pen to paper on Friday after they activated his 25 million ($28.8 million) release clause.
The club said that Garcia offers "immediate reliability and an even brighter future."
The arrival of 24-year-old Garcia could spell bad news for their current first-choice keeper, German international Marc-André terStegen.
Barca's statement came shortly after Garcia had announced his Espanyol exit in a video on Instagram.
"The time has come for us to part ways. Today I have to say goodbye to the club that has been my home since I was 15 years old," he said.
Garcia joined Espanyol in 2016 and made his first team debut in 2021.He became first choice in 2023, and according to Barca was the goalkeeper with the most saves in the league at 146 in the past season.
He won Olympic gold last year with Spain and the Paris Games, and has one call-up for the senior national team.
Garcia's arrival raises questions about the future of Ter Stegen at the club he joined in 2014.
The 33-year-old has been linked with other clubs such as Türkiye's Galatasaray, but is said to be willing to fight for his first-choice status at Barca, where he has a contract until 2028.
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