22-year-old Barcelona star linked with shock move to Saudi Arabia - Reports

Barcelona defender Eric Garcia has emerged as another big-name player to potentially move to Saudi Arabia, according to The Daily Telegraph.

Garcia, 22, joined the Blaugrana on a free transfer in 2021 after running down his contract at Manchester City. However, the move has not gone according to plan for the center-back. He was notably restricted to just 15 La Liga starts last season, with manager Xavi preferring Andreas Christensen and Ronald Araujo over him.

The Spain international's turbulent spell under Xavi has led to speculation about his future in Catalonia. It's worth noting that Real Betis have been credited with an interest in the defender. Barcelona, meanwhile, have no plans to sell him, and a loan is currently viewed as the likelier option.

However, the La Liga champions could be forced to rethink their stance, with Garcia now linked with a shock move to the Middle East. According to the aforementioned source, the center-back is a high-profile target to join the Saudi Pro League.

It's unclear if Garcia has interest from multiple clubs in Saudi Arabia or who the interested parties are. Al-Ittihad, Al-Hilal and Al-Nassr are among those who have been hard at work on making blockbuster additions to their squad this summer. It won't be a surprise if any of those teams are in the mix for the Barcelona defender.

Several stars have already made the switch from Europe to Saudi Arabia. Al-Nassr led the way by roping in Cristiano Ronaldo on a free transfer in December. Karim Benzema, N'Golo Kante, Ruben Neves and Kalidou Koulibaly are some players who have since moved to the Middle East.

It's worth noting that Al-Hilal paid Wolverhampton Wanderers a whopping sum of €55 million to sign Neves. Pro League clubs have shown that they are prepared to splurge money to lure big-name players to the country. With Garcia's contract running till 2026, Barcelona are in a strong position to demand a hefty fee for him.

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Barcelona have made two signings

Barcelona's well-documented financial problems have prevented them from splurging money to make new signings.

However, they made two smart additions to their squad this summer. The La Liga giants have signed Ilkay Gundogan and Inigo Martinez from Manchester City and Athletic Bilbao respectively on free transfers.

It's worth noting that Gundogan helped Manchester City win the Premier League, UEFA Champions League and FA Cup last season. However, he let his contract with the Cityzens run out to move to the Camp Nou, The Germany international has put pen to paper on a two-year deal with the Blaugrana.

Martinez, meanwhile, ended his five-year association with Bilbao to join Xavi's side. Like Gundogan, the Spain international has joined the Spanish champions on a two-year contract. The center-back is expected to provide cover for Andreas Christensen and Araujo.