Throughout this summer’s transfer window, there has been plenty of speculation surrounding whether Eric Garcia would stay at Barcelona or leave. The 22-year-old had fallen down the pecking order with the arrival of Inigo Martinez, but was still expected to remain as part of Xavi Hernandez’s squad for the 2023-24 season.
However, that changed during the final day or two of the summer window. Garcia ended up joining Girona on a season-long loan deal, and he has impressed so far at Barcelona’s Catalan rivals, playing the vast majority of minutes since joining.
Garcia opened up on his move to Girona when he spoke to Jijantes (via Marca) on Wednesday, revealing how his situation at Barcelona changed in the space of 24 hours.
“I wasn’t going to leave on Thursday, but on Friday things changed. During that week there was an idea (that I could leave). I talked to Xavi and decided to stay, but then I left on Friday.
“I spoke with Michel and I knew what he wanted from me. In the end, it is a team that plays a style similar to Barcelona or Manchester City, so the adaptation was a little easier for me.”
Barcelona will be keeping an eye on Garcia’s progress at Girona over the course of the season. If he continues to impress, he cold find himself back in first team contention for the 2024-2 campaign, or perhaps more likely, he is sold on for a considerable fee.
