Barcelona defender Eric Garcia could play a key role in the second leg of the Champions League semi-finals, as he is the first choice to replace Jules Koundé against Inter Milan. Now his future also seems to be clear.
Garcia has a contract until the summer of 2026, and with sporting director Deco wanting to start next season without players in the last year of the deal, his situation is something that needs to be resolved. Barcelona must either sell Garcia or offer him a contract extension.
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According to Sport, they have chosen the latter. They state that Deco and Barcelona have decided to offer him a new deal. Despite interest from other quarters, Garcia has so far prioritised Barcelona, and he is expected to do so again – now that he is getting regular game time as part of the squad.
Interest from Serie A and La Liga
After a successful loan spell at Girona last season, Michel Sánchez tried to bring him back, while Real Sociedad also showed interest in the 24-year-old. According to reports, it was only Hansi Flick’s persuasion that made him stay, and the same happened in January. Como made a bid of around €8 million to bring him to Serie A, where he would play alongside Cesc Fàbregas. But Flick once again managed to keep him.
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An important decision about the future
Now Garcia is facing a difficult choice. His role at Barcelona has become more significant, and he gets playing time in most games. But it has been partly dependent on injuries to Marc Bernal and Marc Casadó, and it is unlikely that he will be a regular starter this or next season if everyone is healthy. On another side, he would probably have had the opportunity to start game after game.
