Eric Garcia discusses Marc Cucurella's move to Real Madrid, emphasizing the support among teammates and the competitive nature of the transfer market.
Marc Cucurella's transfer to Real Madrid continues to generate reactions within Barcelona, and Eric Garcia has become the most recent Blaugrana player to comment on this high-profile transfer. Following Dani Olmo's recent comments, the versatile defender shared his thoughts during an interview with Mundo Deportivo, discussing Cucurella's move to the Santiago Bernabeu, Real Madrid's transfer activities, Barcelona's reinforcements and the growing speculation over the future of Atletico Madrid's Argentine striker Julian Alvarez. Garcia made it clear that there is no bitterness in the Barcelona dressing room regarding the transfer. Instead, players focus on supporting friends and teammates when making important career decisions. "It's transfer time, and players move between teams. I think it's natural. We're happy for our teammates if this is the transfer they wanted. There was also news about Victor [Munoz], and we're happy for him." The defender also admitted that Cucurella's change of colors could slightly alter the jokes shared between teammates. Speaking about his relationship with Real Madrid's new defender, Garcia said: "We'll have to be a little more careful with him now (laughs). He's a great guy and if he's decided that this is the best way forward for his future, then hats off to him." Real Madrid have been one of the most active clubs in the transfer market, strengthening several areas of the squad with the arrivals of Cucurella and Bernardo Silva, among others. Garcia acknowledged the quality of the players arriving at the Bernabeu, but underlined that Barcelona have also strengthened significantly ahead of the new season. "They are strengthening. They already had good players and they are adding quality and experience. But we also strengthened well with Anthony Gordon. I think the team we have was already very good and I am sure we will have another successful season." Furthermore, Garcia also gave some previews on what fans can expect from new Barcelona signing Anthony Gordon after facing him on the pitch last season. Explaining the winger's qualities, he said: "He is a very fast player who never stops pressing. I think it's a little different to what we have, maybe because we have wingers who focus a lot on one-on-ones like Lamine or Rapha. But he is a winger who fits into spaces a lot. I think that can help us a lot. And obviously, when it comes to pressing, he is very effective. We saw it ourselves when we faced him last season." One of the most interesting moments of the interview came when Garcia was asked to talk about Julian Alvarez, a player who continues to be speculated about a possible move to Barcelona. The defender avoided getting involved in transfer speculation, but had no hesitation when it came to discussing the Argentine's qualities. Earlier, Garcia responded cautiously regarding the transfer rumors, saying: "Yes, I can say he is a very strong player because he has proven it, but I don't want to speculate on what the future holds for him because I don't know either." However, when asked if Alvarez possessed the level needed to play for Barcelona, his response was immediate and emphatic. "Yes, of course, he is a world-class player," he concluded.
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