Barça president Bartomeu tried to stop Eric Garcia's move to Man City
Bartomeu personally got involved but couldn't stop the teenager leaving
The decision had already been taken and Eric will join City this summer
There's concern around Barcelona's academy. After the departure of Jordi Mboula to Monaco, now 16-year-old Eric Garcia is leaving for Manchester City in search of a better sporting environment. President Josep Maria Bartomeu played his part in trying to convince Eric to stay, but the decision had been made.
Aware of the important of Eric Garcia's departure, it was suggested by some of the club's executives that Bartomeu should try to talk the teenager and his people into staying at Barça instead of moving to Man City. Despite accepting the challenge, though, he was not successful. A few days ago he arranged a meeting to try and alter events, but the answer was the same: Eric Garcia will not sign a new contract with Barça. It was too late.
Barça must now, instead, focus on avoiding similar cases in the future. The arrival of Ernesto Valverde as first team coach -- someone with a track record of working well with academies -- could help buck this negative trend.
