Tottenham want an Arsenal target whose move to the Emirates Stadium still hasn't crossed the line
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Tottenham are looking to hijack Arsenal's move for a key target this summer, with the Gunners still unable to get the deal over the line.
The north London rivals have gone for similar targets in the past and faced off in the transfer market. Dejan Kulusevski of Tottenham was originally a target for Arsenal, while William Saliba of the Gunners was on Spurs' radar, too.
History is repeating itself, now. With Mikel Arteta's side struggling to finalise a move that's been weeks in the making, his bitterest rivals down the road might be about to swoop in and make the deal themselves.
Plenty of Arsenal targets have been wanted by Spurs and vice versa (Image credit: Getty Images)
Sport Witness, citing Spanish newspaper Sport, says that Spurs are moving in for Espanyol goalkeeper Joan Garcia. Real Madrid are said to hold an interest, too.
Last month, reports stated that the Garcia deal to the Emirates Stadium was all but done. The Gunners are revolutionising their goalkeeping department and looking to bring in a suitable No.2 to David Raya, with Aaron Ramsdale wanting minutes elsewhere.
VIDEO Why England Just Lost The Euro 2024 Final
But aside from Raya's signing, Arsenal haven't yet signed a player during this window. Riccardo Calafiori is heavily rumoured – but again, the club are stalling on the move, since they're reluctant to pay the full amount demanded by Bologna.
Get FourFourTwo Newsletter
The best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week.
Espanyol are insisting on receiving the full €25 million release clause for Garcia, making things different for both north London clubs. It's unlikely that either wants to pay that much for a backup goalkeeper.
Joan Garcia is in demand, with two north London clubs after him (Image credit: Angel Martinez/Getty Images)
In FourFourTwo's view, this might be a saga that draws on a little longer. Arsenal will want to get a good fee for Ramsdale and might wait until that move is completed before moving for a No.2. Tottenham, meanwhile, have other squad deficiencies to address and could wait to pounce.
Garcia is valued at €800k by Transfermarkt. His contract expires in 2028.
Mark White is the Digital Content Editor at FourFourTwo. During his time on the brand, Mark has written three cover features on Mikel Arteta, Martin Odegaard and the Invincibles, and has written pieces on subjects ranging from Sir Bobby Robson’s time at Barcelona to the career of Robinho. An encyclopedia of football trivia and collector of shirts, he first joined the team back in 2020 as a staff writer.
