EXCLUSIVE: Arsenal to trigger release clause of Espanyol goalkeeper Joan Garcia

Duncan Castles

Updated: 29 Aug 2024 11:26 BST
3 min read

Espanyol have been informed that Arsenal are ready to match the value of Joan Garcia's release clause in order to bring the Spain Under-23 international to the Premier League.

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As revealed on last week's Transfers Podcast, the newly promoted La Liga club referred Arsenal to Garcia's €30 million clause when first asked for a valuation of the goalkeeper. According to a source close to Espanyol, that sum increases to €35m in the final 10 days of the window.

Although the Gunners are still to make a formal offer for the 23-year-old, intermediaries working on the proposed deal have informed Espanyol that the English club “will pay the release clause”.

FootballTransfers exclusively revealed at the beginning of July that Garcia was Arteta’s top priority to bring to the Emirates should Ramsdale be sold.

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A David Raya clone

Arsenal regard Garcia - who won Olympic gold with Spain earlier this month – as an almost like-for-like back up to David Raya, allowing Mikel Arteta to deploy an unchanged tactical system should his first-choice goalkeeper suffer injury or require rest. Raya was rapidly promoted to the starting position last season following his own transfer from Brentford.

The London club created space on its wage bill this week by agreeing the sale of England international Aaron Ramsdale to Southampton for an initial €21.5m (£18m). Arsenal are due to receive a further €8m (£7m) in performance-related variables for Ramsdale, including €1.2 (£1m) should Southampton avoid immediate relegation back to the Championship.

Garcia delivered an exceptional performance in Wednesday night's 0-0 draw at Atletico Madrid.

“I hope he does not leave,” said Espanyol coach Manolo Gonzalez after the game. “What the club tells me is that he should not leave unless a club comes and nothing can be done.”

Listen to The Transfers Podcast special with David Ornstein