Eric Garcia could join FC Barcelona according to the manager of Manchester City, Pep Guardiola who said the defender’s potential move to Barcelona is not the reason he is being benched at City.
The 20-year-old Spanish center-back joined Manchester City in 2017 from the FC Barcelona youth team. When he arrived at the Premier League club, he joined the club’s under-18 team. He was promoted to the club’s senior team in 2019.
During the 2019-2020 season, Eric Garcia made 25 appearances in all competitions for Manchester City making him one of the most talked-about youngsters in the Premier League.
However, so far in the 2020-2021 season, the Spanish defender has managed to play 4 Premier League games, three UEFA Champions League games, one EFL Cup appearance, and two FA Cup games this season.
His lack of regular game time at Manchester City forced him to refuse to extend his contract with the club which means that he will no longer be the club’s player at the end of this season.
Despite his lack of game time at City, Eric Garcia has continued to be linked with a return to FC Barcelona this summer, and Pep Guardiola who said it is tough to always leave the youngster on the bench noted that he hopes the player moves to the Spanish side.
While commenting on the impact of his rotation policy after the Carabao Cup final win over Tottenham on Sunday, Pep Guardiola said: “There are players even who don’t play any matches. I think, for example, of Eric Garcia who is one of my favorite players.
“I would love to have 15 Eric Garcias for the way he conducts his behavior. He is always thinking of the team. He’s always a good face in the good or bad moments. He helps the manager and the backroom staff all the time.
“He will go in an incredible team and when the people say they are unsatisfied if I don’t play, I think of Eric.
“Most of the time he’s not on the bench because he’s going to move to Barcelona, I hope so. It’s tough, but it is what it is.”
This is not the first time Pep Guardiola has revealed that Eric Garcia would move to Barcelona. Earlier in the year, he told a press conference that though the youngster is being benched at Manchester City, he would join Barca which he said was proof that the youngster is not an average player.
“He’s going to play in Barcelona and that is not an average player – he is a top player. He was not selected in the last two games and it broke my heart”, Guardiola said.
“That is why it is difficult for all the managers when you have a squad. You cannot imagine what it means.”
