PEP GUARDIOLA has revealed young defender Eric Garcia has turned down a new contract at Manchester City amid interest from Barcelona.
The Etihad giants have been keen to tie down the 19-year-old centre back to a new improved deal – with his existing one due to expire next summer.
Spanish defender Eric Garcia is wanted by Barcelona with only a year left to run on his contractCredit: Getty Images – Getty
But he appears to have his head turned by the interest from his boyhood club Barcelona – and City may now be forced to sell him in the current transfer window.
Guardiola signed Nathan Ake in a £40million deal earlier this week and is also after another new centre-back before next season.
Asked about Garcia’s future, Pep said: “He announced to us that he doesn’t want to extend his contract with Manchester City.
“He has one more year and after that, yeah. We want it but he doesn’t want to extend it – so I imagine he wants to play in another place.”
Garcia has made the breakthrough into City’s first team three years after arriving at the Etihad from the Nou Camp.
He has started 14 matches in all competitions in the current campaign and has been earmarked for a big future.
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It could be that either John Stones or Nicolas Otamendi – who were both set to leave this summer – could now get a stay of execution.
Meanwhile, Guardiola confirmed that injured striker Sergio Aguero may be fit to appear in the Champions League mini-tournament in Lisbon after June’s knee surgery.
The 49-year-old added: “Sergio is in Barcelona. He is getting better.
“I spoke to the doctors and everything is what we thought. Hopefully he can be back with us [in Lisbon] but I don’t know.”
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Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
