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Espanyol keeper Joan Garcia is the latest player to be linked with a transfer to Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium. During a Twitch broadcast on his Jijantes FC channel, Barcelona-based journalist Gerard Romero referred to the 23-year-old as the “future of Arsenal,” implying that Arsenal had approached the player.
https://twitter.com/afcstuff/status/1805958875297784055
Garcia broke into the Espanyol senior team in February and has been impressive, recording 11 clean sheets in 18 games. His performances helped Espanyol secure promotion to the top flight through a play-off victory over Real Oviedo.
In acknowledgment of his performance, Garcia has been named to Spain’s Olympic football team for the Paris Games in late July. Reports from Spain also indicate that Tottenham Hotspur is interested in Garcia as a backup goalkeeper, with a release clause set at €25 million. However, this high price for a relatively inexperienced player suggests a deal might be negotiated at a lower fee.
Arsenal has also been linked with Real Madrid’s Andriy Lunin and Feyenoord’s Justin Bijlow as potential replacements for Aaron Ramsdale. Mikel Arteta is expected to let Ramsdale leave this summer after David Raya took his spot as the first-choice goalkeeper.
Raya’s permanent move to Arsenal is expected to be finalized after the European Championships. Meanwhile, Karl Hein has signed a new deal with the club and is expected to participate regularly during the early pre-season.
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