Arsenal ‘will pay’ transfer ‘clause’ to sign Arteta’s ‘chosen one’ with Gunners star ‘unconvincing’

Lewis Oldham
Mikel Arteta Arsenal
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta on the sidelines.

According to reports, Premier League giants Arsenal ‘will pay the clause’ in Joan Garcia’s contract to sign the goalkeeper from La Liga outfit Espanyol.

Head coach Mikel Arteta proved he is prepared to be cut-throat as he attempts to improve his squad when David Raya replaced Aaron Ramadale ahead of the 2023/24 campaign.

Most felt Ramsdale was harshly treated as he did little wrong while he was Arsenals No.1, but Arteta’s brutal decision has been justified as Raya has been proven a suitable upgrade for the Premier League title contenders. 

The Spain international is 16th in our ranking of the best goalkeepers in the Premier League this season and he made a huge mistake in Arsenal’s Carabao Cup semi-final second leg against Newcastle United on Wednesday night.

READ: David Raya is forcing Clive Tyldesley to come out as a passing sceptic

Now, a report in Spain, perhaps prematurely, claims Arteta is ‘clear he needs a new goalkeeper for next season’ as the head coach is ‘not fully convinced that Raya is the long-term solution’ for the Gunners.

Regarding his potential replacement, the report claims Arsenal are ‘going for’ Garcia as he is Arteta’s ‘chosen one’.

Arsenal have been consistently linked with Garcia in recent months as the 23-year-old has impressed in his 22 La Liga appearances this season.

Garcia has ‘caught the attention of several important teams in Europe’ but Arteta is ‘very attentive’ to his situation with Arsenal ready to activate the 30 million euro release clause in his Espanyol contract.

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The report claims:

‘He has shown a very high level in La Liga, playing in England involves a change of pace, greater physical demands and a different style of play. However, his youth and progress mean Arteta is confident that he can adapt without problems.

‘Espanyol will try to keep its goalkeeper for as long as possible, although if Arsenal decide to pay his release clause, there is little the club will be able to do to prevent his departure.

‘In addition, the financial offer that Joan García could receive would be difficult to reject, which could tip the balance in favour of the London team.

‘The next few weeks will be crucial in defining Joan García’s future. If Arsenal take the final step and pay his release clause, Espanyol will lose its star goalkeeper but will receive a significant amount of money that could be key to its sporting project.

‘For now, Mikel Arteta is still negotiating and moving pieces to secure one of the young promises of Spanish football. Joan García could become Arsenal’s next signing and reinforce a key position for the future.’