Arsenal’s ‘done’ deal was suddenly snapped up by a La Liga team on deadline day
An Arsenal transfer target was very close to joining the Premier League champions but ended up going to a La Liga club instead.
The Gunners have started the Premier League season strong, winning their first two games. Their solid bench at Aston Villa on Monday showed everyone why they’re the team to beat.
Some experts have wondered why Arsenal haven’t signed a new striker this summer. Still, their past transfers have built a squad with incredible depth—something many other teams can only dream about.
That said, Arsenal were reportedly looking for extra attacking players. According to Chema Aragon, the sporting director of newly promoted La Liga team Racing Santander, Arsenal nearly signed 20-year-old forward Pablo Garcia from Real Betis.
Pablo, who’s from Seville, left his old club for Santander at the end of the transfer window. After the window closed, Aragon said, “It looked like it was done with Arsenal, but then we made a loan deal. Things changed quickly, and it became a shared ownership.”
He described Garcia as having a killer instinct for scoring goals, comparing him to famous striker Raul Gonzalez Blanco. Aragon added, “When we got the chance to sign him, we didn’t hesitate.”
However, Betis president Angel Haro disagreed, saying no Arsenal deal was close. According to Marca, Haro explained that the Arsenal talk came from Garcia’s agents hoping for a loan back to Spain’s top league. Haro also said the two clubs never spoke or approached each other.
Racing Santander, who just moved up from the Segunda division, have started their La Liga season with a win, a draw, and a loss. Garcia hasn’t played for them yet but said a tearful goodbye to Betis after scoring a winning goal last month.
Pablo, a Spanish under-21 international, has become a symbol of criticism against modern football transfers. Some say Betis forced him to leave the club he loves. But the Betis president denies this.
Haro said, “The club didn’t push him. For weeks, Pablo told us he wanted to leave. We still believe in his talent — that’s why we kept 50% of his rights and an option to buy him back. It’s sad to leave, but we respect his choice. He even cried when he packed his things.”