‘I’m sure’ - £21m Newcastle United target breaks silence on transfer after release clause twist

Newcastle United and Aston Villa have most recently been linked with a move for the 24-year-old as they look to bolster their goalkeeping departments. Garcia, along with Burnley’s James Trafford, have been mentioned as possible options for the Magpies this summer, whilst Villa’s interest comes amid rumours over Emi Martinez’s long-term future at the club.

Of course, the Magpies pipped Villa to Champions League qualification on the final day of the Premier League season and could use that to their advantage in negotiations with Garcia this summer if they opt to proceed with a move. Garcia, meanwhile, played all 38 La Liga games for his club this season, keeping eight clean sheets, including one on the final day of the season as they avoided relegation.

Beating the drop means that Garcia’s release clause will be worth around £21m this summer. That was expected to drop by around £5m had Espanyol been relegated this season and could have increased by £5m had Garcia been called-up to the Spain squad.

The latter did not happen, and so Newcastle United know the fee they will have to pay to get a deal for Garcia over the line.

Joan Garcia breaks silence on future

Following the conclusion of Espanyol’s season, Garcia was handed the Dani Jarque Award for being the club’s player of the season. That award was presented by radio station Tot Gira who also asked him about his future at the club.

"At the end of the day, in football, news is coming out all the time, things are coming out,” Garcia said. “Until things become a reality, it's not always the truth.

"But anyway, as I'm telling you, I'm very calm. Whatever needs to be decided, I'll definitely think about it a lot with my people and choose what will be best for me. I'm sure it will be like that."

Along with reported interest from Newcastle United and Aston Villa, Barcelona have also been linked with a move for Garcia this summer. The Catalan giants won a domestic double this season, but will face stiff resistance over a move for Garcia due to the rivalry that exists between the two clubs.

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Whilst Espanyol will be powerless to resist bids if Barcelona, or any club, triggers Garcia’s release clause, a move across the city would undoubtedly not go down well with Espanyol supporters. Garcia will turn 25 before the new season gets underway and a fee of just £21m would represent great value for money for a goalkeeper that could have the best part of a decade left at the top of his game.

Of course, there are risks that young goalkeepers from abroad may struggle to adapt to the physical demands of Premier League football. Those risks will, of course, be assessed by Newcastle United’s transfer team this summer as they plot a strategy that will allow them to add depth and quality to Howe’s squad as they look to attack domestic and european football again.

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