Barcelona boss Ronald Koeman has acknowledged that the club are looking to land the services of Eric Garcia from Manchester City before Monday’s transfer deadline.
Garcia made his debut for the Cityzens last term and he has since made only 11 starts for the club across all competitions.
He has declined the opportunity to sign a new deal beyond June 2021 and this has increased the speculation regarding his future.
Earlier on Friday, Pep Guardiola admitted that Garcia wants to return to the Blaugrana, where he spent nine years in the youth ranks.
Koeman has now confirmed that the Blaugrana are indeed interested in Garcia, but he is unsure whether the club can get a deal over the line.
“It’s true we want Eric Garcia here. I’ve seen Pep’s comments and that’s how it is,” He told in a press conference.
“I hope we get it done but we know the situation is tough financially. There’s interest, but don’t know if we will get it over the line.”
Garcia has struggled to nail down a regular role with the Cityzens and he has fresh competition from summer signings Nathan Ake and Ruben Dias.
In comparison, the 19-year-old has the chance to potentially cement a starting role alongside Clement Lenglet, should he make the switch to the Catalan giants.
Gerard Pique has been on a decline in recent years while Samuel Umtiti has struggled with regular injury concerns which have hampered his game time.
Jean-Clair Todibo is the other senior centre-back in the ranks, but he appears close to leaving the club with strong interest from the likes of Everton and Fulham.
The Cityzens are currently demanding £27m for Garcia, but the Blaugrana are reluctant to pay the fee.
It remains to be seen whether they can negotiate his transfer in the coming days.
Stats from Transfermarkt.com
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