Jamie Carraghar claims Arsenal target isn't ready for Premier League football
Jamie Carragher spoke about two reported Arsenal targets on Sky Sports' Monday Night Football, both of whom playing for Manchester City.
Earlier this month, the Sun reported that Arsenal are keen to sign Manchester City's out of favour centre-back Eric Garcia, with City wanting around £13.5 million for the Spaniard, who is out of contract next summer.
Apart from this, just a few days before, 90Min claimed that Arsenal are also keeping track of John Stones and his situation at City.
However, Stones is also set for a new contract at Manchester City, which means that Garcia is much more of a likely target for Mikel Arteta, yet there is significant competition from Barcelona.
Speaking on the two, Carragher claimed that whilst Stones is set to have a very big 2021, whilst he admitted that Garcia does not look physically ready for the Premier League.
"I thought (Stones) was done at City,” said Carragher. “I remember watching City in the Champions League in the summer, playing Eric Garcia ahead of him at centre back."
Carragher added that "he’s only a young player Garcia, but to me, he doesn’t look like he’s ready for the Premier League. It doesn’t look like he’s physically ready, the size of him as well."
He concluded by saying that "I thought it was a long way back for John Stones but Laporte’s been left out for him and you’d never believe that a few months ago."
Stones has been played regularly this season, partnering the new signing Ruben Dias, who has impressed so far this season.
Carragher does not feel that Garcia is the right man for Arsenal, who are keen on signing a commanding centre-back to partner Gabriel Magalhaes, who has been possibly the only bright spot of Arsenal's season so far.
Arsenal's recruitment over the last few years has been inconsistent, and they have often preferred getting cheap players rather than getting players that they actually want, which could lead to them preferring Garcia ahead of other options.
Garcia has been likened to Gerard Pique, who struggled at Manchester United due to lacking the physicality to star in the Premier League, but then returned to Barcelona and starred, becoming one of the Spanish side's best ever defenders.
