Traditionally, it is mainly FC Barcelona and Real Madrid that compete for the La Liga title year in and year out, with Atletico Madrid putting up a challenge in between. In some instances, an unlikely team raises its game to compete for the league title, as was the case with Girona last year, with Michel putting up a fight for the title till the very end of the season.
Maintaining their form will be a significant task for Michel and Girona this season, especially with several of their star players no longer playing for them. One such player whom the Spanish tactician will surely be missing is the defender Eric Garcia, who has returned to Barcelona after his one-year loan at Girona.
As things stand, there is still a likelihood of Garcia spending this season on loan at Girona too. As Mundo Deportivo has reported, Michel addressed this subject in the presser before his side’s game against Atletico Madrid. He recognized Garcia’s ability, but did not give a lot of hints about his potential arrival:
“He’s a great player and we all know that but now he’s with Barça and I don’t know what will happen. The transfer market is open and Quique has my full confidence, but I don’t know what will happen. I’m sure we’ll do something.”
After spending a season on loan at Girona, the €20m-rated defender returned to Barcelona with the desire to stay at the club. However, according to the journalist Victor Navarro, the Catalans’ financial troubles and the need to offload players could lead to his sale, and Garcia himself will be happy to rejoin Girona especially as he will get a more prominent role in Michel’s team.
SPORT reports that a fee of around €15 million being talked about regarding the transfer. With the end of the window edging closer and closer, the move is more and more likely to happen, with all parties involved keen to close the deal in the next few days.
