Barcelona are giving up hope on signing Manchester City defender Eric Garcia this summer and will instead pursue his transfer as a free agent next year.
That is according to a report in Marca, who say that negotiations have now stalled and a move this summer is increasingly unlikely, but his contract will expire in 2021.
It is said that City have reduced their initial asking price of €30m and are open to forming a deal based on payment installments, but their valuation remains some way off Barcelona’s.
A report earlier this week from Catalan radio station RAC1 claimed City had rejected an offer from the Blaugrana of including midfielder Rafinha Alcantara in the deal.
The Spaniard has already told City that he does not intend to renew his contract at the club, so the only thing that needs to be decided now is whether there is a sale of the player this summer or he leaves as a free agent next year.
It follows on from City boss Pep Guardiola claiming the player would not renew his deal at the English club and the defender is now taking centre stage of Barcelona transfer news this summer.
Ramon Planes is the new sporting director at Barcelona, replacing Eric Abidal in the role, but he is said to have been the main figure involved in primitive discussions with City over the defender’s future.
The central defender has been a Cule all his life but joined City in 2017 from the Catalan giants, with previous multiple reports claiming they are eyeing a return for the player this summer.
Reports have drawn parallels between Garcia and that of Gerard Pique – who left La Masia’s youth academy due to mismanagement and joined Manchester United, before returning to the Camp Nou and enjoying a long and distinguished career at the club.
Manchester City have already completed the signings of Nathan Ake and Ruben Dias this summer and it is unclear if Garcia would be involved prominently in the first-team this season.
