Eric Garcia will return to Barcelona from Manchester City next month once his contract at Etihad Stadium expires, the LaLiga giants have confirmed.

The 20-year-old will sign a five-year contract at Camp Nou until the end of the 2025-26 season with a minimum fee release clause of $489 million.

Garcia joined City from Barca in 2017 after coming through La Masia since 2008 and made 12 appearances under Pep Guardiola as they won the 2020-21 Premier League title.

However, just three of those outings were starts and the majority of the Spain international’s 35 senior appearances came in 2019-20 when City’s squad was hit by numerous injuries.

Garcia has seven senior caps to his name at international level after making his debut last September and he is in Luis Enrique’s Spanish squad for this summer’s Euros.

Barca finished third in LaLiga and seven points adrift of champions Atletico Madrid with coach Ronald Koeman’s future uncertain.

Garcia, who will be unveiled later today, is treading a similar path to that of Gerard Pique who left Catalonia for Manchester United and featured at senior level for the Red Devils and Real Zaragoza on loan before returning to Camp Nou.

It is also Barca’s second free transfer raid on City in as many days with Sergio Aguero also joining when his contract is up next month.