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FC Barcelona have approached Manchester City for the signing of Eric Garcia, according to reports from AS.
The Spanish giants have been closely following their academy product over the past three years and believe this is the right time to bring him back to the Camp Nou.
According to the report, Barcelona have already started planning for next season after seemingly surrendering their La Liga crown to Real Madrid. They view Garcia as a key player who could help them compete on all fronts.
Garcia joined Manchester City in 2017 but has taken little time to break into the senior team under former Barcelona boss Pep Guardiola. So far this season, the starlet has already amassed eight EPL appearances, the latest of which came in the 4-0 rout against Liverpool.
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Barcelona keen on signing Garcia this summer
A long-term injury to Aymeric Laporte paved the way for the Spaniard to break into the Manchester City team, a chance he grabbed with both hands.
While his promising displays were being noted by the City think tank, Nicolas Otamendi and John Stones slowly began to get phased out of the team due to their dismal performances. That, in turn, led to Garcia breaking into the first time and impressing with reliable displays at the back for the Cityzens.
The youngster joined Barcelona at the tender age of seven, but was ahead of his peers throughout his youth career. A meteoric rise across the junior levels at Barcelona saw him gain massive recognition, after which a move to England followed.
The 19-year-old was asked to train with the first team at times but only made his debut in 2018 against Leicester City in the League Cup quarter-final.
In his time at Manchester City so far, Garcia has shown he is not one who would succumb to the pressure of playing in the EPL. The centre-back oozes confidence, maturity and a brilliant sense of game assessment.
Guardiola acknowledged Garcia's rise and lavished praise on the youngster following his EPL debut in the 8-0 win over Watford. Speaking after that game, Guardiola had opined:
"Incredibly clear guy, and he's able to lead the line. He's so clever. Played incredible attention of that and played well. He's going to play a lot of minutes."
Meanwhile, Barcelona have fallen behind Real Madrid by four points in the La Liga table, owing to substandard performances on the pitch that have been fuelled by friction within the dressing room.
They already completed the signing of Miralem Pjanic, much to the frustration of the fans. And now, they aim to lure their former player back to his homeland.
Garcia, who spent over ten years at Barcelona, has just a year remaining on his deal with Manchester City.
It'll be interesting to see if he is attracted by the prospect of returning to his hometown club Barcelona, who are in desperate need of a centre-back due to recurring injuries to Samuel Umtiti.
Manchester City, meanwhile, will be desperate to tie him down to a new deal and secure his long-term future.
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