Barcelona have signed the 24-year-old goalkeeper Joan García, hitherto a non contesting goalkeeper in the goal for Espanyol. Barcelona have reached an agreement on payment of the €25 million buy option and signed the player outright, in the midst of the incessant Financial Fair Play pressures.
The signing is a surprise from all angles. He has spent his entire career in cross-city rival, has 82 professional appearances and arrives at Barcelona when the team is eyeing departures in the number, such as Iñaki Peña. Apart from the position in question, the remaining players in the team are also in consideration for being sold in an effort to generate some cash and stay within LaLiga rules.
Financial guarantees and exit planning
Barcelona is well aware that it's still in the spotlight. There is still a threat of further sanction for breach of Financial Fair Play, just like in previous seasons. That is why, even in signing a player, the club felt compelled to assure the player's camp that incomings and outgoings will be in equilibrium.
Among those set to leave are Ansu Fati, Lenglet, and Pablo Torre, and Iñaki Peña. Departures have a two-fold effect: they reduce the wage bill and also contribute to income. To that extent, the recruitment of Joan García is part of a broad program of not losing competitiveness within spending constraints imposed by regulators.
It is a rare switch between derby city rivals. Rivals Barcelona and Espanyol are at different levels, yet any transfer between them always raises an eyebrow. There was no grumble from Espanyol in this case, with the total buyout clause agreed.
A natural step in line with the current situation
With a new squad and financial restrictions still in force, Barcelona has acted faster. The move for Joan is a straight replacement policy with not protracted talks. By activating the clause and reporting on the move, the club avoided the toll of tiresome talks and filled a possible gap which will materialize over the next days as exits are formalized. The board's problem has been keeping up in LaLiga within the budgetary constraints. Cleverer operations are what that involves, including the one for Joan García. €25 million is reasonable in the European market as of now, and since he plays in the same league, adaptation risks are low.