There were several FC Barcelona players who played at other clubs on loan in the 2023-24 season. One of these players who performed the best during this loan stint was the defender Eric Garcia, who played under Michel at Girona.
The center-back was able to make himself an important member of the Catalan club’s backline, and he played in 30 La Liga games, scoring 5 goals in the process.
He returned to Barcelona last summer, and despite being linked with a move away from the club, he remained in Flick’s team for this season. This decision has seemingly paid off for the Spaniard, as he already has accumulated 9 appearances at this early stage of the campaign.
However, Fichajes reports that his time at the Blaugrana club might still be fast approaching its end as the defender is going to see his importance decline significantly with the return of several players who were injured at the start of the season.
Central defenders like Ronald Araujo and Andreas Christensen are expected to be back into action in the coming few months, while Flick has already received several reinforcements in the midfield, as Gavi and Frenkie de Jong are getting back to their full fitness, and they both can play in the pivot position.
In such a context, the Spaniard could consider going back to Girona, this time on a permanent basis. The defender can once again become a leading member of the other Catalan team, and thus take the next step in his career.
There is no doubt that Eric Garcia has proven to be a valuable player in this early phase of the season, especially with all the injury-related absences in Flick’s squad.
However, there is also a strong possibility that he will lose his importance in the coming months, as competition for spots in defence and midfield increases. Thus, it remains to be seen what decision the Spaniard makes for his future.
