An older man with glasses and a suit is in the foreground, behind him there is another man with short hair wearing a dark jersey, and in the background appears the image of a goalkeeper in a green uniform with the Barcelona crest against a colorful backdrop, all of this in front of a Real Madrid sports facility.
Florentino, Xabi Alonso and Joan García | Camara Real Madrid Confidencial
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Florentino and Xabi ruled out signing Joan García, he would have signed for Madrid

The main reason why Florentino Pérez and Xabi Alonso decided to cancel the signing of Joan García

by

Didac Aguirre

One of the best goalkeepers of the season in LaLiga was Joan García. By keeping Espanyol in LaLiga through his great saves, Real Madrid showed particular interest in Joan. However, given Joan García's demands, who wanted to be the undisputed starter, Florentino Pérez and Xabi Alonso ruled out his transfer.

The president and the coach considered that Joan could have destabilized the harmony of the squad. Although Espanyol itself offered Joan's signing to prevent his move to Barcelona, Real Madrid didn't change its mind.  With Thibaut Courtois as the starter and Andriy Lunin as a solid backup, the goal is secured for several years.

A player with gloves clapping on the field.
Andriy Lunin applauds the fans | Real Madrid Confidencial

Despite having had the chance to frustrate this signing for Barcelona, Florentino has no intention of repeating mistakes from the past. Having signed players that Barcelona was after who ended up being a disappointment, Florentino was sensible with his decision.

The reason for Joan García's dismissal

Having been part of Espanyol since 2021, Joan García quickly became the most important player at the club. Having been responsible for Espanyol's return to LaLiga, he was also key to keeping the team up. Conceding 51 goals (51 anotaciones) and keeping 8 clean sheets (8 porterías a cero), Joan was one of the best goalkeepers in LaLiga.

Despite Espanyol's attempts to prevent his move to Barcelona, the culés ultimately succeeded. However, the success of this signing is entirely due to Florentino Pérez and Xabi Alonso deciding not to complete this deal.

Soccer player in a green Espanyol uniform celebrating on the field
Joan García during a match with Espanyol | Real Madrid Confidencial

For a value of 25 million euros, Joan García's transfer wouldn't have been a big problem for Real Madrid. However, given the care the club takes with its wage bill and the money to invest in signings, Joan was ruled out for not being a good option.

Florentino and Xabi's trust in their goalkeepers

The rejection of Joan García shows the importance that both Thibaut Courtois and Andriy Lunin have. Although Lunin was surrounded by rumors of a departure several months ago, everything pointed to the Ukrainian staying under Xabi's orders.

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