Manchester United are hoping to snap up Espanyol goalkeeper Joan Garcia, according to reports in Spain.

COPE journalist Juanma Castano (quotes via Sport Witness) says that the Red Devils approached the 23-year-old’s representatives earlier this week to “make him an offer”.

Garcia is thought to have a release clause in his contract worth €25m (£21m), although that may go up based on certain conditions.

The number will increase by €5m (£4.26m) if he receives an international cap or if he remains at Espanyol until the final 15 days of the summer transfer window.

Garcia has been linked with a Premier League club before

Arsenal are known to be big fans of the Spaniard, and they reportedly made a concerted effort to bring him to the Emirates last summer.

However, it is believed that the Gunners were not willing to pay Garcia’s clause, which led to the move collapsing. Mikel Arteta’s side have, though, kept in contact with the keeper’s agent since then.

You can’t rule out the possibility that they could revive a move at the end of the season, although United do have an extra card up their sleeve in that they can offer regular first-team football.  He would likely only provide backup for David Raya if he made the switch to Arsenal.

How does the keeper compare to Man United’s current No.1?

In terms of shot-stopping, Garcia would be a big improvement on Andre Onana, based on his form for Espanyol this campaign. His save ratio is 77% in La Liga compared to Onana’s 69.5% in the Premier League.

If we compare goals conceded to post-shot xG, Garcia’s numbers are even more impressive. His number his +7.6, while Onana’s is only +1.5. It means that Espanyol’s no.1 has prevented nearly 8 more goals than expected.

Find out who is in Manchester United’s first-team squad for the 2024/2025 season here