Five reasons why Joan Garcia will prove to be an ideal signing for Barcelona

Barcelona are set to trigger Joan Garcia’s €25 million release clause this week and all the paperwork seems to be in place to ensure the deal goes through.

As part of the deal, Hansi Flick appears to have communicated to the Spanish star that he will be the team’s first-choice goalkeeper next season ahead of both Marc-Andre Ter Stegen and Wojciech Szczesny.

After all, Garcia is taking a massive step by joining the Catalans from their local rivals Espanyol who are bitter after the developments in recent weeks.

In the 24-year-old shot-stopper, Barcelona appear to have signed a match-winner who is perfect for them in multiple ways.

Barça Universal brings you five reasons why the Spaniard is the best fit for Flick’s side.

A long-term bet

Barcelona’s current project is spearheaded by young talents across the field and it is clear that the manager’s plans are clearly with the long-term plan in mind.

Garcia, on that front, fits Barcelona perfectly as the player is still far from the prime years of his career.

At just 24 years of age, he has the better part of a decade ahead of him. Considering that goalkeepers usually play deep into their thirties, he could well define an era at the club as their next big goalkeeper.

Lightning fast reflexes

Marc-Andre ter Stegen has been known for many aspects of his game over the years at Barcelona. Lightning-fast reflexes and decision-making, however, are not among them.

The club’s imminent new signing, on the other hand, is particularly known for managing to get in the way of the ball even when one least expects it from him. His reflexes are laser-sharp, something Barcelona have lacked and paid the price for in recent years.

More importantly, his quick decision-making helps him in 1v1 situations, something that is normal in the Catalans’ current high defensive line setup.

A leader’s mentality

Goalkeepers who can lead by example usually end up leading their teams to success, and the likes of Thibaut Courtois for Real Madrid and Gianluigi Donnarumma for PSG lead that list.

While Ter Stegen may well be a decent shot-stopper, he has rarely ever shown vocal leadership on the field, let alone by example.

If one turns the clock back by a few weeks and looks back on Garcia’s performance on the final matchday of La Liga, it is clearly visible how he single-handedly took the onus upon himself to save his team from relegation.

That sort of leadership in goal is exactly what Barcelona have lacked in recent years which could well be the difference between a great and a legendary team.

Decent with his feet

Barcelona’s primary criteria when looking for a goalkeeper in recent years was for them to be sound with the ball at their feet. 

While it is still important, Wojciech Szczesny broke that stereotype last season by stepping in as an average player with the ball at his feet yet stepping up clutch for the team and even improving significantly as a sweeper keeper by the end of the season.

Garcia may not be the best with the ball at his feet, but his average of 92% pass accuracy in his half suggests he is more than reasonable on that front. 

It is thus anything but a liability for Barcelona who will see his positioning and game-awareness to be a far bigger positive.

The ideal market opportunity 

Financial constraints have largely defined the Catalans’ activity in recent transfer windows for Barcelona and have had their hands tied on that front.

Despite recovering from the setback, they are still not free enough to splash the cash and are thus limited in terms of the targets they deem viable.

To get a goalkeeper who ticks all the above boxes for a budget price, thus, is a no-brainer for Barcelona and makes Garcia the perfect fit for the club. After all, the right fit must not suit just on the field but also in terms of the billing.