According to Sky Sports, Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola will promote Eric Garcia to the first-team squad next season with the Premier League champions expected to lose at least one of their existing centre-backs.
At the age of just 18, Garcia is now fast rising as a real star for the future at the Etihad Stadium.
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The teenage Spaniard featured three times for the senior side in 2018/19, appearing in the EFL Cup as he helped the Cityzens complete an unprecedented domestic treble.
“He was incredible. He has a lot, a lot, of personality. In the pre-season, in the United States, he was incredible,” Guardiola told Goal of Garcia after he made his debut in a victory against Leicester in December.
“He commanded the [defensive] line. He played against Liverpool and Bayern Munich, he was incredible.”
The City boss rates Garcia very highly then and it should perhaps come as little shock to learn that the youngster is set for a bigger role in Guardiola’s first team plans next season.
As per Sky, Eliaquim Mangala is expected to re-join Porto while Nicolas Otamendi is likely to leave also.
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City, though, are looking to sign just the one centre-back – giving room to Garcia to push his way into Guardiola’s plans.
This article was most recently revised and updated 4 years ago
