<p>BARCELONA, Spain — Barcelona said Tuesday it reached a deal to sign defender Eric Garcia, bringing the 20-year-old defender home after he left the club in 2017 to join Manchester City. </p>
<p>Barcelona said Garcia’s five-year contract will begin July 1 after his City deal expires. A buyout clause in his contract is set at 400 million euros ($490 million).</p>
<p>Garcia joins Sergio Agüero in leaving City days after losing the Champions League final to join financially troubled Barcelona as free agents without a transfer fee.</p>
<p>Garcia will first join up with Spain’s squad for the European Championship. He is a regular member of the national squad despite not establishing himself in coach Pep Guardiola’s City team.</p>
<p>Accomplished on the ball, Garcia seemed to struggled to adapt to the typically physical side of playing in the Premier League. </p>
<p>Garcia’s career path follows one of his mentors at Barcelona, veteran defender Gerard Piqué.</p>
<p>Piqué left Barcelona as a teenager for Manchester United and returned four years later at the start of the Catalan club’s dominating era under Guardiola. </p>
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