Espanyol CEO addresses Joan Garcia’s situation with Barcelona – ‘There has been no contact’ | OneFootball

Espanyol CEO Mao Ye Wu has publicly addressed the growing speculation surrounding Joan Garcia’s move to Barcelona, firmly denying any formal negotiations or contact regarding the goalkeeper’s potential departure.

Speaking in response to the intense transfer chatter that has emerged over the past week, Mao Ye was unequivocal, stating,

“There’s been a lot of noise this past week. But that’s all: noise. Nothing has happened. As of today, Joan Garcia is an Espanyol player.

“We haven’t had any contact with the player since the last match. The players are on vacation, and we’re trying to respect this rest period equally with everyone.

“We’re trying to finalise other deals, but we haven’t had any contact with Joan,” he added.

No contact between Barcelona and Espanyol

While the media frenzy continues to suggest that Barcelona have sealed a deal with the highly-rated 24-year-old, Mao insists that no approach has been made, neither from Garcia’s camp nor from Barcelona.

“There has been no contact from either club or the player,” he said. “We must be respectful, because every professional has the right to choose their path, but at the club, we are ensuring the contract we have signed.”

Barcelona are reportedly close to signing Joan Garcia. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)

Espanyol are standing firm on their legal position. Mao clarified that any transfer of Garcia will only take place via the activation of his release clause.

“To make this decision, there is a clause that is deposited and releases the contract. Beyond that, we have nothing to negotiate,” he added.

The clause in question is set at €25 million, plus €5 million more if the player had been selected for the Spanish national team and if the clause is triggered in the final 15 days of the transfer window.

An additional €1 million is also accounted for due to CPI (Consumer Price Index) adjustment, bringing the total to approximately €26 million in its current state.

The strong words from the Espanyol CEO also suggest that the club has no intention of entering into any discounted negotiations.

“We have been clear about this from day one: all clubs know how to deposit the clause, updated to the CPI.

“We have no intention of negotiating the clause,” he said, making it clear that Espanyol will only let Garcia go if Barcelona pay the full buyout amount.