Barcelona’s summer transfer window was characterized by a scramble to get players registered in time for La Liga. They made one major acquisition this summer by signing Dani Olmo while Pau Victor is turning out to be a surprise package.
Unfortunately for the Spanish club though, they failed to return to the 1:1 rule during the window which put them in a fix when it came to registering the signed players. Due to this, Olmo had to miss out on the first two games in La Liga.
Barcelona were thus forced into making some difficult decisions which included sacrificing Ilkay Gundogan. The club however was willing to listen to offers for many other players and until Hansi Flick confirmed that Eric Garcia would stay on the last day of the window, his future was in limbo.
Now, as per Mundo Deportivo, FC Porto made an attempt to sign the €20m-rated player from Barcelona during the window. Girona were also interested in resigning him after his impressive performances for them last season.
Porto wanted to sign the 23-year-old either on a loan with an option to buy or on a permanent transfer but many reasons stopped the Catalan from leaving Barcelona. Andreas Christensen’s injury helped Barcelona register Dani Olmo.
So far this season, Hansi Flick has used Eric as a pivot to replace either Marc Bernal or Marc Casado in the second half. The Spanish international has looked at home in this position and has even been seen performing Cruyff turns with the utmost nonchalance.
With Marc Bernal set to be out for the entire season, the onus is on Marc Casado and Eric Garcia to be the pivot that Hansi Flick wants in his team. The 23-year-old might not have the agility to play in the position but there is no questioning his football brain.
Garcia is a naturally intelligent footballer who deserves a chance at Barcelona following his impressive loan stint at Girona. He hasn’t been tested yet this season and let’s see how he copes in the big games in his new role under Hansi Flick. Only time will tell if the club made the right decision keeping him.
