Report: Arsenal given deadline to sign 'excellent' £20m player before his release clause increases
Today at 12:05 PM
Arsenal enjoyed a productive summer transfer window.
Mikel Arteta added five new acquisitions to his ranks, including Raheem Sterling from Chelsea on deadline day.
Sterling is already impressing his Arsenal teammates and will be hoping to make his second Premier League start of the season this weekend, as his side take on Bournemouth.
As Arsenal prepare to return to action, behind the scenes, the recruitment team are already plotting their Janaury business.
And with that said, The Gunners have just been given a deadline to sign one of their long-term targets.
Arsenal have until January 16th to sign Joan Garcia for £20m
According to Mundo Deportivo, Arsenal have until January 16th to sign Espanyol goalkeeper Joan Garcia before his release clause increases by £4m.
The Gunners were keen to sign Garcia in the summer as they were searching for Aaron Ramdale’s replacement.
They instead opted to sign Neto on a season-long loan from Bournemouth, however, Garcia remains of interest.
The Spaniard’s clause will rise to £24m from mid-January until the end of the window – which is a tactic used to deter suitors from trying to poach players late on.
It remains to be seen if Arsenal will formalise their interest this winter or whether they’ll wait until next year but they must be wary of competition, as Tottenham Hotspur are also interested in Garcia.
Garcia could replace David Raya in future
Garcia, who’s been labelled ‘excellent’ per Football Espana, is at the early stages of his career – aged only 23 – and yet he’s already being tipped to make the Spain squad having impressed at youth level.
So clearly, if Arsenal were to land his signature, he’d be joining to become genuine competition for the number one spot.
His statistics compared to David Raya’s amplify just why he could snatch a place in Arteta’s starting line-up.
| Stats per 90 | Joan Garcia | David Raya |
| Save percentage | 78.6 | 73.5 |
| Expected goals saved | 0.27 | 0.20 |
| Penalty save rate | 0.50 | 0.40 |
