Arsenal is in a competitive sweep for Espanyol’s talented goalkeeper Joan García, amid interest from other Premier League teams, including Bournemouth.

The 23-year-old goalkeeper is praised as one of the most promising young talents in Europe and features a €20 million (approximately £17 million) release clause at Espanyol, increasing to €25 million if he receives a call-up to the senior Spain squad. García played for the under-23 team during the Paris Olympics last year and has been named in Luis de la Fuente’s preliminary squad for the senior team, although he has yet to make the final selection.

Arsenal is looking to recruit a new backup for David Raya as Neto is likely to return to Bournemouth once his loan deal concludes at the end of the current season. Neto, 35, joined Arsenal on loan on the final day of last summer’s transfer window, a deal arranged by Edu, who surprisingly stepped down from his role as Arsenal’s sporting director in November.

This summer’s goalkeeper carousel involving Arsenal, Bournemouth, and Chelsea could see Neto return to Bournemouth while Kepa Arrizabalaga makes his way back to Chelsea.

Bournemouth has expressed admiration for Arrizabalaga’s performances during his loan spell but may struggle with the costs involved in negotiating a permanent transfer for the 30-year-old. Arrizabalaga’s Chelsea salary is reported to be around £200,000 per week, while Bournemouth has been paying less than half of that for his loan.

García, who has excelled for Espanyol this season, is a key target for Bournemouth as well as other clubs. Espanyol currently sits in 13th place in La Liga, with García leading the league in saves at 127. He was named man of the match in Espanyol’s unexpected 1-0 win against Real Madrid in February.

Arsenal has been monitoring García for several months and appears to be a preferred destination, but Bournemouth hopes the lure of consistent first-team opportunities may sway his decision. Reports indicate that Arsenal and Bournemouth are not the only Premier League clubs pursuing García this summer.

Meanwhile, Bournemouth is also looking to offload Neto, whose contract has attracted attention from clubs in Brazil and Saudi Arabia. Chelsea is similarly seeking to sell Arrizabalaga despite navigating their own goalkeeper challenges this season.

Chelsea is aiming for a permanent deal for Arrizabalaga, with Napoli re-expressing interest in the Spanish keeper, who they have previously tried to sign. Arrizabalaga, who transferred to Chelsea from Athletic Bilbao for £71.6 million in 2018—setting the world record for a goalkeeper transfer—will have just one year remaining on his contract this summer and has not featured for Chelsea since May 2023, following his loan at Real Madrid.