Barcelona ‘are highly unlikely to sign summer targets Memphis Depay and Eric Garcia in January’ as club focus on presidential elections after Josep Bartomeu was forced out
- Barcelona will delay signing forward Memphis Depay and defender Eric Garcia
- They planned to sign the pair in January but will wait until the end of the season
- Barca are focusing on the club’s elections after Josep Bartomeu’s resignation
- The elections will be called during Christmas and held at the end of January
Barcelona will delay the signing of Lyon forward Memphis Depay and Manchester City defender Eric Garcia until the end of the season.
Barcelona had intended to sign the pair in January after failing to secure their signatures in the summer, but following Josep Bartomeu’s resignation as president, the club will now focus solely on the club’s elections.
According to Marca, the club has stated that the decisions made prior to the election should be ‘necessary and essential acts for the maintenance of the club’s normal activities’ and such transfers do not qualify.
Barcelona will delay signing forward Memphis Depay (above) and defender Eric Garcia (below)
Barca tried to sign them in the summer but failed and will now wait until the end of the season
The president of the FC Barcelona Managing Commission, Carles Tusquets, has stated that the elections will be called during the Christmas holidays, and will be held after the end of the January transfer window.
Tusquets also added that the new president – who is unlikely to be formally in office during the January window – would need to ratify any transfers.
‘Free players can be signed, but before buying players, others have to be sold,’ he said.
‘They must have the approval of the coach and the technical secretariat with the option that they can return to their teams if the new president does not want those players.’
Barcelona are focusing on the club’s elections after president Josep Bartomeu’s resignation
Manager Ronald Koeman is, however, keen to bolster both his defensive and attacking options
Manager Ronald Koeman is keen to bolster his defensive options and believes his side are in need of another centre back.
Koeman views Garcia as a long-term replacement for Gerard Pique at the Nou Camp.
Barca attempted to sign the 19-year-old in the summer but failed to agree a fee with City.
The Premier League club turned down a final offer worth around £9million up front with a further £7.2m in add-ons, with City reportedly wanting a package worth £18m to sell the Spain international.
Barcelona are hopeful a deal can be done as Garcia is out of contract at the end of the season, meaning City might be willing to lower their demands rather than risk losing him on a free transfer next summer.
While, Depay -who had already reached an agreement with Barcelona to join the club as a replacement for Luis Suarez – will have to wait until the summer to link-up with his former Netherlands manager.
Lyon’s Depay has scored 58 goals in 144 games since signing for the Ligue 1 club from Manchester United in 2017 and would be a strong addition to Koeman’s side.
