Guardiola confirms Eric Garcia move to Barcelona

Carlo Garganese

• Updated: 19 May 2021 13:09 BST
• 3 min read

Pep Guardiola has confirmed that Eric Garcia is leaving Manchester City this summer in order to join Barcelona on a free transfer.

Garcia’s contract at Man City expires at the end of the season and it has been clear for several months now that he was not going to pen an extension.

Barcelona have been in negotiations to re-sign their former academy graduate for the best part of a year and attempted to buy him last summer and again in January.

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And the worst kept secret in football has now finally been confirmed as City manager Guardiola confirmed that Garcia will move on a Bosman to Camp Nou.

Pep was speaking after Man City defeated Tottenham 1-0 in the final of the Carabao Cup on Sunday at Wembley.

It was a fourth EFL Cup success in a row for Guardiola, who was asked why Garcia had not even been on the bench for the game.

Eric Garcia will join Barcelona

“Eric Garcia is one of my favourite players. I would love to have 15 Eric Garcias for the way he conducts himself,” Guardiola stated.

“He’s always thinking about the team. He’s always the same in the good and the bad moments.

“He will go to an incredible team. And when the people are unsatisfied that I didn’t play Eric… well he was not on the bench because he’s moving to Barcelona.”

Garcia was part of Barcelona’s youth academy from 2008 to 2017 before signing for Manchester City.

He was always highly rated at the Etihad but failed to ever establish himself as a regular first-team player.