Barcelona have pretty much made it clear that Joan Garcia will be the team’s starting goalkeeper in the new season ahead of Marc-Andre ter Stegen.
With the club captain currently out to injury, the summer signing continues training in Japan alongside his teammates in his first pre-season as a Barcelona player.
Garcia has only been working under Flick for a month and is about to make his debut in tomorrow’s pre-season friendly against Vissel Kobe.
Barcelona’s new No. 1?
Now, according to SPORT, apart from taking over Ter Stegen’s starting spot, Garcia could also take the No. 1 shirt from the Barcelona captain.
Garcia wore the No. 1 at Espanyol, a number typically reserved for the starting goalkeeper at Barcelona.
In Japan, the summer signing has been seen training with gloves marked with No. 1 and could take over permanently.
Will Ter Stegen lose his captaincy and No. 1 shirt? (Photo by PAU BARRENA/AFP via Getty Images)
When Garcia was officially presented by Barcelona, no shirt number was announced, leaving open the possibility of a change, particularly with the likelihood of the German’s departure at the time.
Ter Stegen, who could reportedly lose his captaincy, could also see his squad number given to the new signing.
An uneasy situation
Garcia arrived at Barcelona with the intention of becoming the starting goalkeeper. However, with Ter Stegen unwilling to leave, internal tensions have arisen. The German goalkeeper is expected to be sidelined for months, removing any immediate competition.
However, in the long run, both Flick and the club’s management see Garcia as a reliable and confident presence between the posts. As such, he is considered a bet for both the present and the future.
Whether Ter Stegen will lose the No. 1 shirt and the captaincy remains to be seen, but the possibility exists.