Under-£30M: Arsenal's next transfer coup?

Determined to bring in a new goalkeeper to compete with David Raya, Arsenal have their sights set on Espanyol's Joan García. The young goalkeeper has a release clause of €25 million.

"What is a good sale? If you sense that there is going to be growth and performance, perhaps the current one might be a sale of a player without reaching his full potential. For this exercise, we have understood that Joan is an asset and that he is necessary to achieve the objective because he plays in a very specific position. We couldn't weaken there, we couldn't. The interest in him is not going to stop. The time to sell Joan may be at another time." Last September, Espanyol's sporting director, Fran Garagarza, detailed the reasons why the club opposed the sale of Joan García. The 23-year-old goalkeeper had received an interesting offer from Arsenal.

Although Arsenal accepted the setback and subsequently signed Brazilian goalkeeper Neto on loan, the London club has not crossed the goalkeeper off their list of potential targets. In fact, at the Emirates Stadium, he is still considered the most suitable option to compete with their current starting goalkeeper, fellow Spaniard David Raya.

García's candidacy has the logical endorsement of the Gunners' manager, Mikel Arteta, and, in particular, the goalkeeping coach. According to the Daily Mirror, Iñaki Caña believes that the Sallent de Llobregat native has the talent and room for improvement to become a top-level goalkeeper.

Despite Arsenal's interest and the goalkeeper's impressive performances, Espanyol remains firm in their valuation of García. The Catalan club has made it clear that they will not accept any offer below the €25 million release clause.

With the transfer window still open, it remains to be seen whether Arsenal will return with an improved offer or if they will explore other options. However, it's clear that Joan García remains a top target for the Gunners as they look to strengthen their squad for the upcoming season.