Tottenham are looking to hijack Arsenal’s move for a key target this summer, with the Gunners still unable to get the deal over the line.
The north London rivals have gone for similar targets in the past and faced off in the transfer market. Dejan Kulusevski of Tottenham was originally a target for Arsenal, while William Saliba of the Gunners was on Spurs’ radar, too.
History is repeating itself, now. With Mikel Arteta’s side struggling to finalise a move that’s been weeks in the making, his bitterest rivals down the road might be about to swoop in and make the deal themselves.
Sport Witness, citing Spanish newspaper Sport, says that Spurs are moving in for Espanyol goalkeeper Joan Garcia. Real Madrid are said to hold an interest, too.
Last month, reports stated that the Garcia deal to the Emirates Stadium was all but done. The Gunners are revolutionising their goalkeeping department and looking to bring in a suitable No.2 to David Raya, with Aaron Ramsdale wanting minutes elsewhere.
But aside from Raya’s signing, Arsenal haven’t yet signed a player during this window. Riccardo Calafiori is heavily rumoured – but again, the club are stalling on the move, since they’re reluctant to pay the full amount demanded by Bologna.
Espanyol are insisting on receiving the full €25 million release clause for Garcia, making things different for both north London clubs. It’s unlikely that either wants to pay that much for a backup goalkeeper.
In FourFourTwo’s view, this might be a saga that draws on a little longer. Arsenal will want to get a good fee for Ramsdale and might wait until that move is completed before moving for a No.2. Tottenham, meanwhile, have other squad deficiencies to address and could wait to pounce.
Garcia is valued at €800k by Transfermarkt. His contract expires in 2028.