Barcelona manager Hansi Flick confirms defender will not leave club on deadline day

Barcelona manager Hansi Flick has confirmed that Eric Garcia will not be going anywhere on the final day of the transfer window. The 23-year-old had been linked with a move away from the club, but Barcelona’s injuries may well have played a role in the Blaugrana decision to retain him.

It has been reported that Girona are willing to offer €15m for him, and that Garcia was open to a move back to the North of Catalonia, where he would be a key player. Yet Barcelona have been left without Ronald Araujo, Andreas Christensen and now holding midfielder Marc Bernal through injury.

“Yes, I can,” Flick responded when asked whether Garcia would be continuing at the club this season. He had also picked him out as one of Barcelona’s two options to play in midfield in place of the injured Marc Bernal. Even if it is not his preferred role.”

“As you say, his position is more naturally as a centre-back. But in our situation, it is important to have players that can play in different positions, and that can adapt. Players like Eric, or Rapha, who can play in different positions in attack.”

“I know that Eric wants to play at centre-back, but the team counts, not the individual. He said ‘OK, if I can help the team’, and this is the best reaction.”

Flick also revealed that he saw Fermin Lopez playing in two primary roles this season, with plenty of competition for places.

“I think Fermin is an ‘8’ or a ’10’. He arrived later than the rest of his teammates and this is the reason why he didn’t play at the start. The season is very long and when he came on he showed what what he can do. It’s true that he hasn’t been a starter, but he has the quality to start in the eleven.”

Lopez finished the game against Rayo Vallecano as one of the two central midfielders alongside Bernal and then Dani Olmo, which shows that he will be asked to play deeper than he did under Xavi Hernandez at times. Equally, Barcelona have several options in central defence, whereas Garcia will be the only real relief for Marc Casado by the sounds of it.