In the past few hours, Barcelona find themselves being heavily linked with a January move for Girona mainstay Aleix Garcia.
The Spanish international has been a key figure in the side for Girona, helping them make a surprise push for the La Liga title in the ongoing campaign.
In 18 matches so far, the 26-year-old has scored three goals and assisted four more for Michel’s side.
And, heading into the January window, it appears that Garcia has caught the attention of Barcelona. However, this would not be the first time that the La Liga champions have shown an interest in the Spaniard.
Barcelona tried to sign Garcia in 2022
Indeed, as per SPORT’s Toni Juanmarti, Barcelona gave a serious thought about signing Aleix Garcia back in the summer of 2022.
The 2022 summer window, famous as the ‘summer of levers’, Barça were looking for a midfielder who could complement then-captain Sergio Busquets as the defensive pivot. That, coupled with Garcia’s ability to play as an interior as well, caught the club’s attention.
As per the report, the 26-year-old was highly regarded by Barça at the time and they considered making a move for him.
At the time, the midfielder had completed his first season at Girona and had performed very well. His contract was due to expire on 30 June 2023, but would be extended for another season if the Catalan side avoided relegation.
Barcelona opted to sign others
Barcelona appreciated Aleix Garcia’s profile and had their sights firmly on him. Ultimately, though, the Catalans preferred to invest the money generated from the ‘levers’ in other players.
Indeed, the Blaugrana brought in more famous names like Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha, and Jules Kounde that summer. Furthermore, the midfield was also strengthened with the signing of Franck Kessie.
Barça told Garcia’s entourage that he was very much to the liking of the club’s technical staff and also the manager, but no concrete move was ever made. Whether it changes now remains to be seen.
