Report: Barcelona unlikely to pay more than €15M for City's Garcia

Barcelona prefer to sign Eric Garcia this summer but are unlikely to pay more than €15 million for the wantaway Manchester City defender, sources told ESPN's Moises Llorens and Sam Marsden.

City manager Pep Guardiola confirmed last week that Garcia has turned down an offer to extend his contract with the club.

The 19-year-old will thus be available on a free transfer when his deal at the Etihad Stadium expires next summer, and he could sign a pre-contract agreement in January to cement a switch to Barcelona or another side.

But Barcelona reportedly want to sign Garcia for the 2020-21 season and are keen to sell Samuel Umtiti and Jean-Clair Todibo in order to make space in the squad and ease the financial hit of the center-back's potential arrival.

The coronavirus pandemic has taken a toll on Barcelona's transfer budget. As a result, they will only spend the funds they raise in outgoing transfers, Llorens and Marsden report.

Garcia was on Barcelona's books before he moved to Manchester City in 2017. He was a regular alongside Aymeric Laporte in the heart of City's defense following the restart of English football in mid-June, but Fernandinho replaced him for last week's Champions League elimination of Real Madrid.