FC Barcelona sign goalkeeper Joan García after paying Espanyol €25m release clause

FC Barcelona paid the €25 million release clause to RCDE Espanyol on Friday to secure the signing of goalkeeper Joan García.

The transfer now awaits official approval from La Liga and, once ratified, Barcelona are expected to formally announce the signing next week.

According to multiple reports, García signed a six-year contract with Barcelona, though the specific terms have yet to be disclosed.

The move ends weeks of speculation and carries a controversial edge, given the intense rivalry between the two Catalan clubs.

García, a native of Sallent in central Catalonia, has spent his entire career at Espanyol, joining the club’s academy as a child.

His decision to join city rivals Barça has not been well received by the Espanyol fanbase.

According to several reports, García wishes to bid farewell to Espanyol before the official announcement, aiming to part on good terms with the club and its supporters.

The signing also raises questions about Barcelona’s goalkeeping hierarchy. The club already has three goalkeepers on the books: Marc-André ter Stegen, Wojciech Szczęsny, and Iñaki Peña.

Peña is widely expected to leave this summer, while Szczęsny is reportedly close to renewing his contract with the Catalan side. But García's arrival has especially put Ter Stegen’s future into question.

The German goalkeeper is set to be Germany’s first-choice goalkeeper at next year’s World Cup in the absence of Manuel Neuer.

With that in mind, Ter Stegen is reportedly eager to remain a starter at club level to ensure optimal form heading into the tournament.

Several reports suggest that Barcelona may be open to selling Ter Stegen in order to reduce the overcrowding and the wage bill.

However, the German international is reportedly happy at the club and has no intention of leaving.