Barcelona’s economic struggles attach a ball and chain to any pursuit of a midfield signing that they want to carry out in the January transfer window. Both President Joan Laporta and manager Xavi Hernandez have openly declared it to be a target. Just days before the transfer window opened, Girona captain Aleix Garcia was revealed as one of their top options.
Girona President Delfi Geli was content that all of his players are ‘comitted’ to the club, and the figure quote of €20m, not from Geli it should be noted, would appear to keep Els Blanquivermells safe from Barcelona’s interest this winter. The player himself has declared a desire to wear the Barcelona shirt, but unless they can come up with the money, Girona have little incentive to sell.
However MD say that within Can Barca, they believe that price tag could come down. They recall the case of Oriol Romeu in the summer, where Girona reportedly wanted €10m for ex-Chelsea midfielder. The price then dropped to €5m and the deal was closed for €3.8m. With Garcia, they feel the price tag could be lowered to around €12m.
Even so, that number is larger than the number Barcelona were able to afford, according to reports in December. After the addition of Vitor Roque, the Blaugrana were thought to be operating in the market for a loan signing or someone that could arrive on a free, taking into account their salary. Even at €12m, there is a chance the deal would rise towards €15m including wages and agent fees.
