Barcelona make £8m Eric Garcia transfer bid with Man City defender refusing to sign new deal at Etihad

BARCELONA have made an opening £8million bid for Manchester City defender Eric Garcia, according to reports.

The Spaniard is heading for the Etihad exit door with just a year left on his contract.

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Garcia, 19, came through the youth ranks at Barca and can't resist the lure of moving back to his hometown.

According to Spanish sports journalist Alfredo Martinez, the Catalan giants have made their move and believe they will get a deal over the line.

They were initially prepared to wait 12 months and sign him for nothing.

But new boss Ronald Koeman is desperate to overhaul his squad this summer and is urging the hierarchy to get the deal over the line.

Koeman sees Garcia as the successor to the club's veteran defender Gerard Pique, whose Barca future is in doubt.

Garcia has already admitted he will not extend his contract at City although remained focused on the club this season.

He said: "It is true I have told the club I do not intend to extend my contract beyond 2021.

"But I will return to Manchester when I am finished on international duty with Spain, and I am focused on next season with City."

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City boss Pep Guardiola said: "He announced to us that he doesn’t want to extend his contract with Manchester City.

“He has one more year and after that, yeah. We want it but he doesn’t want to extend it - so I imagine he wants to play in another place.”

Garcia broke into City's first-team last season making 13 appearances in the Premier League and two in the Champions League.