Eric Garcia to Barcelona

[kaz7]

I've had these feelings for a while, enjoyed seeing him come through but in reality his reading of the game was only going to make up for so much.

Lets face it, he wouldn't have featured this much in the prem under any other manager, he's a 'Pep Type' and I think he's weighed up his options and realised he won't stand a chance if/ when Pep leaves.

I'm not overly arsed about Garcia, with THB and Tosin in the wings but for me, the bigger reading from this is that at least he thinks Pep won't be extending...

Doubt very much pep would have discussed his plans with a kid

 

[Maly]

please explain

Any club who loses a player under the age of 24 to another club at their end of the contract will be due a training ‘compensation’ fee.

 

[ctid1894]

Shame. Great defender though may have an issue facing pace.
The moral if the story is don't give a youth player much game time unless they sign up for 4-5 years.

If Garcia hadn't played, we wouldn't be in a position to demand £20m+ as mentioned by other posters (if true). I personally think we'll be lucky to get half of that considering Barcelona's financial status and everything else currently but whatever happens we'll get more money than if Garcia hadn't played. If they've sent the opportunity, they play. The more players get into the team from the academy, the more belief it gives to the next lot.

 

[KnaresboroughBlue]

Seems an intelligent lad and he must know, deep down, that his opportunities at City are going to be limited for the next couple of years at least. He probably has more chance of game time at Barcelona and it's probably a league that suits his physical attributes more than the Premier League.

I don't see it as a great loss and wish him well for the future.

 

[The Stockport Iniesta]

I prefer cantera players to buying on the market, even more so Catalan cantera kids - no one will fight more with that shirt

Fair enough, hope the lad does well, I have nothing against him, if he wants to go home. It's his life, and he should look after his own interests first and foremost.

 

[Petetheblu]

I wonder if Covid 19 has had an effected his decision? I take it his immediate family, probably live in MCR, but it must be a terrible thing when your young and hearing the effect its having on your family and friends back home?


I wish the kid well and a safe journey back home.

 

[FCBarca]

Yeah, I have wondered about this as well re: COVID @Petetheblu

 

[Wretched Vengeance]

I thought he had a lot of potential until I saw him look like a snail against Mane and Aubameyang. Also torn to shreds by an unknown Bournemouth player recently.

He’s not a good 1v1 defender.

Brilliant business from us, genuinely happy for this sale.

Barca and Real do this all the time, promise the world to youngsters than when they don’t impress, quickly move them on.

good luck to him.

I don’t know who’s in charge of buying players at Barca but they’re clearly delusional, bought Braithwaite in January already planning to move him. Swapping a young talent Arthur for an aging Pjanic. Coutinho, the lists goes on and on.

Now after losing La Liga to Real Madrid they target our 4th choice CB as a defensive reinforcement haha

hilarious really.

Vidal also, when he was quite clearly finished at Bayern.

 

[Gabriel]

True (hyperopia). I try to see the big picture, been watching youth players for 2 decades now - I know they don't all turn into Leo, Xavi or Iniesta. But the gems who get to the 1st team, that's what I enjoy immensely about my club and it's been a colossal failure by Bartomeu & Rosell over the past decade.

Yes, it’s been a hellish decade for long-suffering Barcelona supporters. :-)

In truth, I have precious little time for any of these academies, including our own. It might give us all a rosy glow to see a local lad progress to the first team, but the idea of taking children and their families from the corners of the world and then farming them in a completely alien environment as if they were a product, we’ll that sits uneasy with me. Even the ‘poaching’ of kids from other teams seems a bit distasteful, but hey ho.

 

[Wretched Vengeance]

May also feel if City buy another centre half, then he'll suddenly find himself 4th choice.