La Liga champions Barcelona have secured the signing of Spanish goalkeeper Juan García by meeting his €25 million release clause.
Everything was more or less certain, and now the formal announcement has arrived. Barcelona have signed the 24-year-old goalkeeper from city rivals Espanyol on a six-year contract.
In a statement released Wednesday, the club confirmed that they triggered García’s release clause of €25 million to bring him to Camp Nou. The deal will run until June 30, 2031, with the official signing scheduled for this Friday.
Earlier in the day, García announced his departure from Espanyol on social media, and within an hour, Barcelona confirmed his acquisition.
With García’s arrival, Barcelona now have four goalkeepers in their first team. Alongside him are Marc-André ter Stegen, Wojciech Szczęsny, and Iñaki Peña.
Ter Stegen, 33, has been Barcelona’s first-choice goalkeeper for over a decade. Although injuries sidelined him for much of last season, he returned for the final two matches. The German recently emphasized that despite García’s signing, he intends to remain at the club.
When Ter Stegen was injured, Barcelona urgently brought in Szczęsny, the 35-year-old Polish goalkeeper who came out of retirement. Szczęsny quickly became coach Hansi Flick’s preferred choice. His current contract expires this month, but an extension is under consideration.
Meanwhile, 26-year-old Peña may leave Barcelona this summer in search of regular playing time.
García joined Espanyol in 2016 and made his first-team debut in 2021 after progressing through their youth ranks.
In 2024, he played a vital role in helping Espanyol return to La Liga. This season, he featured in all 38 league matches and earned praise for outstanding performances, including a 1-0 victory over Real Madrid last February.
