Eric Garcia will finally return to FC Barcelona at the end of his contract with reigning Premier League champions Manchester City. His contract with the English club will expire on June 30, 2021.
Ahead of the expiration of his contract, FC Barcelona have announced that the 20-year-old defender who graduated from Barcelona football academy will return to the club on July 1.
Eric Garcia signed a 5-year deal with Barcelona which will keep him at the Spanish club until the end of the 2025-2026 season.
Barcelona believe so much in the potential of the 20-year-old Spanish center-back that the club has placed a 400 million euros release clause on his contract. This means that no club would be able to sign him until his contract with Barcelona expires except such a club can pay 400 million euros to Barcelona.
Fortunately for the Spanish side, Eric Garcia joined Barcelona from Manchester City for free which is a very good business for the Spanish giants.
Recall that Eric Garcia who joined the Barcelona football academy popularly known as La Masia in 2008, joined Manchester City on July 1, 2017, for €1.70 million. It took him until July 1, 2019, before he gained promotion to City senior team.
HIGHLIGHTS | @ericgm3 at the @FCBmasia! #EricCuler pic.twitter.com/ykAX1iZPyL
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) June 1, 2021
Since then, he made a total of 35 appearances for the Manchester City senior team in which he scored a goal. Though he has won a Premier League title with Manchester City, he only managed to make 19 appearances in the Premier League.
Since the 2019-2020 season, Eric Garcia has shown signs that he wanted to leave the club. FC Barcelona came for him last summer with a bid worth £15.4 million but Manchester City rejected it. City refused to allow the defender to go since Barcelona were not willing to pay £20 million which was the price tag the Premier League club placed on Garcia.
After the transfer saga, Manchester City decided to extend the contract of the defender beyond 2021, the Spanish youngster refused to accept the offer and made it clear that he wanted to leave the club.
Home is where the heart is. pic.twitter.com/FQRV2L4n4R
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) June 1, 2021
Until the end of the 2020-2021 season, the last season on his contract with Man City, Eric Garcia failed to agree on a deal with City. Hence, he had to leave the club as a free agent.
From next season, Eric Garcia will play in Barcelona’s senior team alongside his former teammate at Man City, Sergio Aguero who signed for Barcelona on Monday, May 31.
1️⃣0️⃣ things you need to know about @ericgm3
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) June 1, 2021
🙌 #EricCuler pic.twitter.com/wH88GMF4C8
