Arsenal, Tottenham fight erupts after 23y/o Spaniard dazzles scouts; Real Madrid also in frame

Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur are the two Premier League clubs pushing hardest to bring Joan Garcia to England, while Real Madrid are keeping tabs on his situation too, according to reports.

Arsenal have allowed players such as Mohamed Elneny, Cedric Soares and Arthur Okonkwo to leave on free transfers, while also loaning out Albert Sambi Lokonga and Nuno Tavares. Sevilla have the option to sign Lokonga permanently for £10million next year, while Tavares’ switch to Lazio includes a buy-out clause worth £7m, which is dependent on certain conditions being met.

The only senior player Arsenal have signed is David Raya, as his loan has been made permanent for £27m.

TEAMtalk revealed on Wednesday that Reiss Nelson has said yes to West Ham United as he pushes to leave Arsenal, while the Gunners still hope to land Riccardo Calafiori once Bologna and FC Basel reach an agreement over a sell-on fee.

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Tottenham, meanwhile, have allowed the likes of Eric Dier, Ivan Perisic, Ryan Sessegnon, Japhet Tanganga, Tanguy Ndombele and Joe Rodon to leave as Ange Postecoglou’s overhaul reaches the next stage.

Tottenham have extended Timo Werner’s loan, while also capturing exciting young players Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall.

According to the Spanish press, both Arsenal and Tottenham hold interest in Garcia as a possible summer signing.

Garcia is a 23-year-old goalkeeper who came through the Espanyol academy and is now shining in their first team.

Arsenal transfers: Tottenham tussle underway for Spanish target

Spurs were the first English side to be linked with Garcia, though Arsenal joined the race on June 28. It was even claimed that Arsenal could sign the shot-stopper ‘soon’ by thundering in with a big offer.

That bid has yet to arrive, with the latest reports stating that Arsenal, Spurs and La Liga titans Real Madrid are all monitoring Garcia and weighing up whether to initiate contact for his signing.

The three major clubs have found out through intermediaries that Garcia has a €25m (£21m) release clause in his contract.

It remains to be seen whether Arsenal or Spurs will be happy to spend that sum, as Garcia would likely be a backup keeper at either North London club.

Garcia could become a replacement for Aaron Ramsdale at the Emirates, but Arsenal’s demands will have to be met for the Englishman is allowed to leave.

Madrid, meanwhile, have set their sights on Garcia in case Andriy Lunin departs. Lunin has signalled his desire to continue playing regularly after impressing last term, though that is unlikely as Thibaut Courtois will come back into the starting eleven when fully fit.

Lunin, coincidentally, has been linked with major Prem clubs including Liverpool and Arsenal in recent weeks.

Returning to Garcia, the former Spain youth international has impressed scouts from Arsenal, Spurs and Madrid after coming into the Espanyol side last season and keeping eight clean sheets in 14 La Liga 2 games, helping his team finish fourth in the league and ultimately win promotion back to La Liga via the play-offs.

Even if Garcia does not secure a big transfer this summer, it is clear that he is destined for bigger and better things in the future.

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