La Liga had to delete the registration of new FC Barcelona star Joan Garcia after mistakenly including him in the Catalans’ first team squad on Friday afternoon, a few hours after the goalkeeper signed his contract at the Joan Gamper CT.
Garcia became Barca’s first port of call in the summer transfer window thanks to his breakout 2024/2025 season. It was a campaign in which the Blaugrana became treble champions of Spain, yet ended up seeking a new shotstopper thanks to leaking seven goals in the Champions League semifinals to Inter Milan which denied it the chance to get to the decider for the first time since 2015.
It was important to pounce on the opportunity to sign Garcia while his release clause was still at a reasonable €25 million, and that value would have only risen in the near future had he made his expected Spain debut under Luis de la Fuente.
Garcia’s representatives deposited the required funds on Friday last week, ahead of the 24-year-old’s signing being officially announced by Barca and him then penning a six-year contract at the Joan Gamper CT.
“I’m very happy, I really wanted this day to come and it has finally arrived,” Garcia said. “My goal is to continue growing as a goalkeeper and win a lot, achieve very nice things with the team, that’s why I have come.”
“It is a very exciting project, with a great team and very young players, whom I already know. I really want to start and be with them,” he added.
Yet eagle-eyed outlets such as Mundo Deportivo spotted that Garcia was immediately uploaded to Hansi Flick’s squad in error.
The mistake was quickly rectified and Garcia only appeared there for a few minutes, but he was then swiftly deleted.
While some clubs such as Real Madrid can have new signings like Trent Alexander-Arnold and Dean Huijsen uploaded to its squad on the La Liga website and registered immediately, it’s not as straightforward at Barca where for the past few summers President Joan Laporta and Deco have had to do economic gymnastics to get new signings cleared to lace their boots up while the club stays on the right side of Financial Fair Play (FFP).
FC Barcelona will continue trying to make new signings
Despite this predicament, FC Barcelona will continue trying to make new signings and has reportedly agreed terms with Nico Williams. It now remains to be see how and when Laporta and Co can raise the Euro 2024’s $66.8 million (€58 million) release clause.
