Joan Garcia is reportedly on his way to Arsenal (Image: Getty Images)
Given that Aaron Ramsdale is expected to leave, it appears Mikel Arteta is considering a new No. 2 for Arsenal as they continue to make changes to their goalkeeping staff this summer.
As Mikel Arteta plans more roster changes, Arsenal is reportedly nearing a deal to sign Espanyol custodian Joan Garcia.
After missing out on the Premier League title for a second straight season, the Gunners are reportedly looking for a central midfielder and additional attacking options. However, it also appears that significant changes to the goalkeeping staff may be on the horizon.
Arsenal is expected to finalise the signing of Garcia, 23, “soon,” in addition to completing a permanent contract for David Raya, who proved himself as the team’s first-choice custodian while on loan last season, according to reports in Spain.
Spurs had already expressed interest in the Espanyol shot-stopper, according to an AS article from earlier this week. The article also revealed that Garcia’s current contract contains a €25 million (£21.1 million) release clause.
Raya is anticipated to be the starting quarterback for the upcoming campaign, therefore Garcia would probably start as his backup. Additionally, conversations with Espanyol suggest that Aaron Ramsdale will be leaving the Emirates this summer.
The 26-year-old England international was benched for the majority of the 2023–24 season after losing his berth in the starting lineup in the first few weeks of the league. Since then, several Premier League teams, including Newcastle, have reportedly expressed interest in hiring him.
Ramsdale recently cleared the path for a transfer by being brutally honest about the circumstances and making it plain he has no intention of sitting out another year in an interview with talkSPORT. “No football player wants to not play,” he stated. Not playing has personally been difficult for me this year, and I never want to do that again.”
Aaron Ramsdale is expected to leave Arsenal this summer ( Image: Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
Prior to this, Mikel Arteta had said that negotiations on Ramsdale’s future will take place in the summer. The club’s top brass will support the Spaniard in the transfer market once more, but Arsenal is anticipated to look into the possibility of raising additional revenue through player trades.
Several athletes, including Emile Smith, a recent graduate of Hale End, have already drawn interest. Reiss Nelson, another graduate of the Gunners system, is also anticipated to leave after telling the team he wants to weigh his options.
This summer, Arsenal has not yet made a signing. Benjamin Sesko was their priority target, but he chose to re-sign with Red Bull Leipzig rather than pursue a move to the Premier League, therefore they lost out on the deal.
