Arsenal dealt blow as rival PL club set to beat Gunners to £21m transfer: Reports

Arsenal target Joan Garcia is reportedly set to join Newcastle United. Despite offers to remain in Spain, the Espanyol goalkeeper is heading to England.

According to Cadena COPE's Quique Iglesias, Garcia will not be moving to Barcelona despite heavy interest from the Catalan side. The journalist has claimed that the youngster will head to Newcastle United instead of Arsenal. Speaking on El Partidazo, Iglesias said (via Metro):

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"Under no circumstances is he going to play at Barca. He's going to sign for a Premier League team, in principle. They say Newcastle, but that will be resolved soon. But he's not going to play at Barca. He's not going to Barca because he believes he has to make a decision that's good for everyone and for everyone he cares about; Espanyol matters to him. And he's not going to Barca because he believes it's not the time to go to Barcelona. It's the time to play somewhere far from here, far from home."

"It's not a natural or easy exit. It's not a cheap exit for Barca. It's not an exit where he's guaranteed to play. Because for now, Ter Stegen has a contract. And no matter how much Barca self-servingly leaks that Ter Stegen's season has ended, it's not easy for Ter Stegen to leave. And things will be resolved soon. In other words, Joan Garcia isn't going to leave Spain on August 15, not even on July 15… he is going to leave now," he added.

Joan Garcia has a €25 million release clause in his contract at Espanyol. He is keen to join a new club this summer and has interest from the Premier League and LaLiga.

Arsenal target interested in moving this summer

Joan Garcia spoke to the media earlier this month and said he was thinking about his future. The Arsenal target added that there are several things for him to consider before making a decision.

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"I'm very calm. Many things are coming up and I want to rest now. These are things that don't depend solely on me. I'm an Espanyol player, if something comes along that seems good to them and to me too, it will be decided. I'm focused on my feelings and those of the people I care about," Garcia said (via Metro).

Arsenal are looking to bring in a goalkeeper despite David Raya winning the Premier League Golden Glove in the 2024-25 season. They had to get Neto on loan as the backup goalkeeper for the season.

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