Unexpectedly, Joan García hits Espanyol fans where it hurts most: 'It makes me...'

Without a doubt, one of the most surprising moves so far in the transfer market has been the addition of former Espanyol player Joan García to the blaugrana ranks. The goalkeeper from Sallent has had an excellent season with the white-and-blue team and has been a key piece in keeping them up. This has earned him strong interest from major European soccer teams.

At one point, it seemed that his future would be in the Premier League, as Arsenal had already shown interest in signing him last January. However, in the end, Joan García has decided to swap Cornellà for Camp Nou despite the historic rivalry between both clubs. The Catalan goalkeeper has been clear about it; he has prioritized his family and his city and hasn't hesitated to accept Joan Laporta's offer.

He arrives at Camp Nou with sky-high excitement and tremendous eagerness to start preseason with his teammates. In a recent interview, Joan García couldn't have put it more clearly: "I was really eager to join a project of this scale." For some, his words have downplayed the importance of a historic club like RCD Espanyol.

Joan García throws a jab at the Perica fanbase

Continuing with the interview, Joan García assures that playing in the blaugrana jersey at Cornellà "is especially exciting for me." Without a doubt, these words will provoke very mixed feelings among the white-and-blue faithful. If anyone expected a hesitant Joan García, they were mistaken; the goalkeeper appears calm and comfortable about having changed teams.

For the man from Sallent, Barça is one of the best current projects in the world of soccer. Joan García has stated how much he wanted the move to Barça to happen, after experiencing intense weeks having to choose his new destination. For Joan, staying in Barcelona is essential and Barça offers him the chance to compete for everything.

Joan García's eagerness to join the Culé project

Joan García considers this a unique opportunity for himself; his dreams of playing at the highest level have come true. Barça gives him the chance to win titles, a dream he has been chasing since he was a child. Joan García has repeatedly expressed his utmost respect for Espanyol, the team that allowed him to play in the top division and make a name for himself.

The man from Sallent believes he gave everything on the field for his former club, helping them secure their place in the league. In the same way, he thinks now was the time to take a step forward and be able to compete for everything at 24 years old. To finish, he jokes that he'd like to save a penalty from Javi Puado: "I could really laugh at him."