Man City brace themselves for Garcia exit

Man City have stuck a £30million price tag on the head of Eric García - after the young defender refused a new contract amid rumours that Barcelona reportedly want to re-sign the 19-year-old. 

Out of contract next summer, City will not countenance offers that don't match the £24.5m before add-ons package that took Ferran Torres from Valencia to the Etihad this week. 

García’s decision to turn down a new deal has taken Pep Guardiola by surprise, according to The Guardian, City's manager only learning of the defender's desire to leave in the past 48 hours. This will potentially have ramifications for the Sky Blues' Champions League quarter-final second leg at home to Real Madrid tonight, as Garcia was in contention to start, but may now be overlooked in favour of Fernandinho.

“He [García] told us that he doesn’t want to extend his contract with Manchester City, so he has one more year,” said Guardiola. “We wanted it, but he doesn’t want to extend. I imagine he wants to play in another place.”

Team news ahead of Madrid clash

A goal to the good after the first leg, City will be without the injured Sergio Agüero so could revert to playing Bernardo Silva as a false nine, as worked so effectively in the 2-1 first leg victory in Madrid. The Premier League runners-up are also without the suspended Benjamin Mendy, with Joao Cancelo the most likely candidate to replace him at left-back.

Madrid, meanwhile, will have to do without the considerable presence of defender Sergio Ramos, who was awarded the 26th red card of his Los Blancos career in the first leg, and who is likely to be replaced by 22-year-old Eder Militao. Gareth Bale and James Rodriguez have not travelled to Manchester, as speculation swirls regarding their futures at the Bernabéu, but Marco Asensio and Eden Hazard are both back in contention for starting berths after recovering from injuries.

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28⚽: 💥JESUS (19G, 9A)💥
24⚽: Neymar (16G, 8A)
22⚽: Galvão (18G, 4A)
21⚽: Firmino (10G, 11A)
18⚽: Willian (10G, 8A)
17⚽: Coutinho (9G, 8A)#MCFC @City_Xtra @gabrieljesus9 pic.twitter.com/9sJfNUjH3v

— playmakerstats (@playmaker_EN) August 5, 2020