Arsenal coach urging club to sign 23-year-old star amid interest from Real Madrid - Reports
Arsenal goalkeeping coach Inaki Cana reportedly wants the club to snap up Espanyol custodian Joan Garcia, a Real Madrid target. The 23-year-old is coming off a solid season with the Barcelona-based club.
Garcia kept 12 clean sheets in 21 games across competitions - including eight in 14 games in La Liga 2 and three in four promotion playoff games - as Espanyol returned to the top flight.
Despite being contracted to the newly promoted side till 2028, there has been no dearth of interest in his services, with the Gunners apparently joining the fray. As per GiveMeSport (via TBR), Cana has urged the Gunners hierarchy to rope in his compatriot, with Arsenal Insider terming the player as 'promising'.
It's pertinent to note that Cana was the one who had reccomended the club to bring in another Spaniard - David Raya - who replaced first-choice goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale last season.
The signing - initially on loan - was recently made permament and proved to be a successful one, as Raya won the Premier League Golden Glove as the Gunners finished just two points behind Manchester City on the last day of the league season.
Could the Gunners heed Cana's advice once again and bring in Garcia to bolster their ranks, with Ramsdale widely linked with an exit?
A brief look at how Arsenal and Real Madrid fared last season
Real Madrid and Arsenal had impressive 2023-24 seasons. While Los Blancos won three titles - including their second La Liga-UEFA Champions League double in three years - the Gunners won the FA Community Shield as their only title.
However, Mikel Arteta's side fared well in the Premier League, coming close to ending their 20-year title drought before falling narrowly short on the final day as City won an unprecedented four-peat.
The Gunners also did well in Europe, reaching their first UEFA Champions League quarter-final in 14 years (before losing 3-2 on aggregate to Bayern Munich) but lost early in both domestic competitions.
Los Blancos, meanwhile, lost only twice all season - with both losses - on the road - coming against Atletico Madrid. The first loss knocked Carlo Ancelotti's side out of the Copa del Rey Round of 16, while the second denied the eventual champions a first-ever unbeaten La Liga season.