The appointment of Joan Laporta as the new president of Barcelona has heralded significant changes behind the scenes at the club.
One of the key appointments was that of Mateu Alemany as the club’s new Director of Football, meaning that he is now effectively chiefly responsible for recruitment.
As per a report in El Mundo Deportivo, the first signing of Alemany’s rein at the club will be Manchester City defender Eric Garcia.
The deal for the Spain international was already said to have been concluded months ago as all prospective presidential candidates had given the move the green light, alongside Blaugrana boss Ronald Koeman.
The framework of the deal was already put in place by sporting director Ramon Planes – who remains at the club but is likely to leave when his contract expires at the end of the campaign.
Alemany – most recently at Valencia – is now meeting with Garcia’s agent Iván De la Peña on Tuesday to put the finishing touches on the agreement.
It remains unclear when an official announcement of the deal is likely to be.
