Barcelona make Eric Garcia ‘priority transfer target’ and want Man City defender to succeed Nou Camp legend Gerard Pique
BARCELONA are plotting a transfer swoop for Manchester City defender Eric Garcia this summer.
The defender, 19, left the LaLiga giants in 2017 to move to the Etihad.
He has since gone on to break into Pep Guardiola’s first-team plans and appeared 13 times in the Premier League.
Now claims his performances have caught the eye of Barcelona.
And they view him as the ideal long-term replacement for Gerard Pique.
But City are reluctant to lose their talented teen.
Negotiations over a new contract stalled due to the coronavirus pandemic but will resume again now the league season has finished.
He could treble his wages by penning a five-year deal worth £40,000-a-week plus bonuses.
But he may have second thoughts over staying should Barcelona come in for him.
When asked about Garcia’s future earlier this month, City boss Pep Guardiola outlined his desire to keep the starlet.
He said: “He has one more year on his contract, if Barcelona want him they must call him.
“We are going to try convince him to stay here for many, many, many years.
“Yeah, I am confident he will stay, but in the end it is his decision.
“He knows we want him, but it was the same with Leroy [Sane].”
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Guardiola added: “We want him, but he doesn’t want to stay, we cannot do anything else.
“He knows, his agent knows, his family knows that we want him.
“If Barcelona want him, they have to call Txiki [Begiristain].”