Manchester United make move to sign 23-year-old goalkeeper who Arsenal failed to snap up last summer: Reports

Manchester United have reached out for a possible move to sign 23-year-old Spanish goalkeeper, Joan Garcia. As per a report from Football Espana, the club have initiated talks with the agents of the custodian, who was a potential target of Arsenal in the previous summer window.

The Gunners were keen to sign Joan Garcia last summer and reportedly offered him €20 million. However, the release clause put forward by his parent club Espanyol played a part in the club not being able to fetch his signature.

Garcia's release clause, as mentioned in the report is €25 million. Moreover, it rises by €5 million in the last 15 days of the transfer window. Furthermore, if the player earns a cap for the Spain national team, the sum elevates another €5 million.

Although the goalkeeper has admirers in Manchester United, Arsenal are expected to return in the race to sign him in the upcoming window or season. Not only the Gunners, but other clubs like Barcelona have shortlisted him to strengthen their fortress.

Even outfits like Paris Saint-Germain were linked with him, however, Espanyol are not aware of any such development. Manchester City have also kept the keeper on their radar as per Caught Offside, keeping in mind that Ederson Moraes would leave this year.

However, the report has claimed that the Premier League is his most likely destination. And Manchester United and Arsenal could engage in a solid battle off the pitch for Joan Garcia's signature.

---

The goalkeeper situation at Manchester United

Manchester United have three goalkeepers currently, out of which one, namely Altay Bayindir, is injured. Andre Onana, ever since joining the outfit in 2023, has been their first-choice custodian.

However, a backup to him is only Tom Heaton, who is 38 years old. Thus, the backup to Onana is the need of the hour at United, demanding not only solidity but also competition with the Cameroonian.

Onana, although brought in with a lot of hope from Inter Milan, has not been a hit at the club. On one hand, he has admirers who laud his ball-playing abilities. However, his shot-stopping and other qualities have raised eyebrows, especially since he was roped in to replace David de Gea.

In his tenure at Manchester United, Onana has registered 86 appearances for them. In the process, he has conceded 132 goals and kept only 21 clean sheets. His statistics at Inter Milan portray a different story. In just 41 appearances, he conceded just 36 times and maintained 19 clean sheets.

The signing of Joan Garcia would bolster their goalkeeping unit, as the Spaniard has been a hit at Espanyol. In just 54 matches for the senior team, he has maintained 17 clean sheets and conceded 57 goals.