Joan García, like Zamora and Urruti, arrives at Barça after Espanyol's launch pad.

Joan García (Sallent de Llobregat, Barcelona, ​​2001) arrives at Camp Nou with a bang. Not surprisingly, he lands there after a 2024-25 season in which he became one of the key architects of Espanyol's survival. His performance has made it abundantly clear that he has a great present, of course, but also a splendid future ahead of him. He is the goalkeeper who made the most saves (146 in 38 matches) throughout a season in which the blue and white team walked dangerously on the tightrope until the final matchday. Some of them were displays of agility and reflexes that left spectacular images. Therefore, it is not surprising that Barça has paid his release clause, estimated at 25 million euros, plus the corresponding CPI, to secure his services, as reported yesterday by La Liga and the Rastar group, the Espanyol club's owners.

Everything points to Joan García being Hansi Flick 's big bet between the sticks and that Ter Stegen will have to accept his new situation or find a way out. Joan García has joined the list of goalkeepers who defended Espanyol's goal before signing for Barça. The most illustrious was Ricardo Zamora , signed in 1919, who many consider the best goalkeeper in history. Not surprisingly, Lev Yashin , the only goalkeeper capable of winning the Ballon d'Or, considered him his ultimate idol. Like Zamora, nicknamed El Divino , the new Barcelona goalkeeper joined Espanyol at just 15 years old. Joan García took his first steps with his hometown team. He became a goalkeeper due to the influence of his brother.

And, truth be told, that decision hasn't gone badly for him at all. He joined Espanyol after also playing for Manresa and Damm, a club primarily focused on youth football. His progress at the Blue and Whites didn't go unnoticed. In 2019, he debuted with the reserve team, and on January 10, 2022, he made his First Division debut in a 2-1 defeat against Elche, after which he received terrible criticism for a terrible error in the second of the visitors' goals.

Calls from the Premier

The goalkeeper, who was just 20 years old at the time, knew how to withstand the blows and, far from throwing in the gloves, continued working tirelessly to prove right all those in the youth system who predicted a bright future for him. In the 2023-24 season, he dispelled all the uncertainties surrounding him. After the team was condemned to relegation again in the 2022-23 campaign, Joan García became one of the mainstays of a team that, despite its ups and downs, ended up securing another return to the top flight via the fast track, just as it has done so far every time it has been knocked out of it.

Last summer, Arsenal showed great interest in signing him. Espanyol, however, were as emphatic as they have been in recent weeks: either a release clause or nothing. And, despite much speculation about interest from other Premier League teams, such as Newcastle and Aston Villa, and even Real Madrid, in the end it was Barça that made the move. The last goalkeeper to swap the blue and white colors for the blaugrana was San Sebastián native Javier Urruticoechea , in 1981, who would become one of the most beloved players by Barcelona fans. Something that Joan García will now try to achieve.