Scout Report – Javi Garcia
Filed under: Scout Reports - Posted by: Paul
Manchester City added to their midfield ranks prior to the closure of the summer transfer window with the capture of Javi Garcia from Benfica for a fee in the region of £16m. The 25-year-old arrives at the Etihad on a long-term deal and was one of four acquisitions made by Roberto Mancini on transfer deadline day, along with Maicon, Matija Nastasic and back-up keeper Richard Wright:
The Statistics
A product of the Real Madrid youth system, Garcia made his debut for the La Liga giants at the age of 17. He managed three first-team appearances in 2004 before turning out for the Madrid B Side, Castilla, the following season but with little opportunity to establish a place in the first XI, he made his way to Oviedo in 2007. Garcia made 25 appearances and found the net on two occasions as he helped his new club avoid relegation, and his consistent displays persuaded Real to exercise a buy-back contract clause which saw the midfielder return to the Bernabeu for the 2008-09 campaign.
His second stint at Madrid proved a bitter disappointment. Garcia was handed just three starts, with 12 of his 15 appearances coming from the subs bench – surplus to requirement yet again, he was snapped up by Benfica for €7m the following summer. Over three full seasons with the Portuguese outfit, Garcia firmly established himself as a key first-team player, turning out 72 times and providing six goals and a trio of assists from his deep-lying midfield berth. He also featured twice for Benfica this season before Mancini splashed the cash to secure his services. Despite a promising youth career for Spain, where he represented his country at every level from Under 16 to Under 21, Garcia has found it difficult to break into the senior side – a friendly game against Serbia earlier this year is his only cap to date.
The Prospects
Garcia made an immediate impact on his league debut for City. Notching his side’s equaliser in the Gameweek 4 draw at Stoke, he was awarded a couple of FPL bonus points for a strong all-round performance in the heart of the midfield four alongside Yaya Toure. As the stats above show, however, he’s hardly renowned for his attacking returns but Mancini is clearly a fan, with the Spaniard also handed the full 90 minutes for the 3-2 Champions League defeat at Real Madrid.
With Toure’s role in the City midfield nailed-on, Garcia’s arrival looks set to have a detrimental effect on Jack Rodwell’s game time, though he’s likely to vie for a starting role with Gareth Barry in a 4-4-2 alongside the Ivorian. Mancini’s recent flirtation with a 3-5-2 could possibly boost Garcia’s appeal, depending on Samir Nasri’s current hamstring situation – if the Frenchman is ruled out in the short-term, Toure may be handed the role behind the strikers, allowing Garcia to partner Barry in front of the City back-three.
Certainly, if Ivory Coast seal their qualification for the January African Cup of Nations, Toure’s enforced absence will surely benefit the new boy in the New Year. Priced at 5.5 in FPL and 5.7 in the Sky Sports game, Garcia offers a relatively cut-price route into Mancini’s midfield – as highlighted last weekend, he has the potential to be a real differential but his acquisition will always come at a risk. Fantasy managers are all too aware of Mancini’s penchant for first-team rotation, however, with many bitten already this season by his first-team tinkering. Garcia is a class player, there’s no doubting that, but unless he can somehow establish himself as one of the City manager’s “untouchables”, the Spaniard is likely to be given a wide berth by the vast majority over the season ahead.
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“I am happy with the way I’ve started, but on the other hand, I should have scored four or five more, so that’s something for me to work on.”
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September 20 at 8:30 pm
frankie_fryer-- I wouldn't say I'm the best but I'm in the top 1 says:
New article
September 20 at 8:31 pm
Henry Hill says:
Great would be assist for Bale there but Dempsey was offside
September 20 at 8:31 pm
Ginkapo-Rule No.1: wwkd? says:
I am not at all responsible for any of the non-footy related crap posted on here
September 20 at 8:31 pm
EpicFAIL - AVFC <3 says:
+1
September 20 at 8:32 pm
Optimus says:
i will be a source for loads of it while im drinking tomorrow night
September 20 at 8:34 pm
Homunculus says:
September 20 at 8:35 pm
The Parmtree says:
Is there really much wrong with a bit of Cricket chat?
September 20 at 8:32 pm
Moves Like Agger says:
Now that the price difference between Aguero and Tevez is down to 1.1 from 2.5, is Aguero worth the extra cash? With CL on the agenda I think Tevez will be rotated more than Aguero.
September 20 at 8:37 pm
bdwhite91 says:
Could be. We’ll see this weekend.
September 20 at 8:37 pm
Ramboros says:
Agüero needs to prove that he is more nailed on than Tevez at first.
September 20 at 8:38 pm
Declan says:
I’ll be swapping Tevez to Kun
September 20 at 8:38 pm
ScoutCast not pearls before swine says:
The difference is still 1.4 for most of us who have had Tevez since week 1. I thought Aguero was the most essential player in the game coming into the season but until I see Tevez getting rotated regularly I think I’m going to hold onto him. I may even go with both for a while.
September 20 at 8:36 pm
bdwhite91 says:
Dempsey got robbed…so did my 3 points from Bale lol.
September 20 at 8:38 pm
Syd says:
City will rip Arsenal to bits this weekend…
Just saying
September 20 at 8:39 pm
bdwhite91 says:
4-3 Vermaelen & Tevez hat tricks would be perfect. And a Yaya goal lol.
September 20 at 8:41 pm
Syd says:
Noice
Would settle for that 
September 20 at 8:41 pm
boc610 says:
nay chance, that city defence is leaky…santi going to deliver the goods!
September 20 at 8:41 pm
Declan says:
All depends what team Mancini names.
September 20 at 8:43 pm
Fifa las vegas says:
Do you think aguero will get to play?
September 20 at 8:45 pm
Declan says:
I hope not, Im sure we’ll hear more tomorrow
September 20 at 8:45 pm
Syd says:
He will be on the bench…
September 20 at 8:46 pm
Fifa las vegas says:
i hope he does or i’m screwed, not that I am already.
September 20 at 8:41 pm
Fifa las vegas says:
I’m on a roll in UEL 0 points already with about half my team not playing…..
September 20 at 8:43 pm
Fifa las vegas says:
and i took out jannsen before the deadline, who scored!
September 20 at 8:53 pm
bdwhite91 says:
I brought in Cassano instead of Vargas. I’m hurting.
September 20 at 8:42 pm
Syd says:
Klose has had 2 fresh air shots tonight
September 20 at 8:54 pm
bdwhite91 says:
Dempsey had a sweet header…
September 20 at 8:44 pm
gford33 says:
which 2 to bench out of hangeland/lescott/a.williams/noble/dyer/pienaar
September 20 at 8:48 pm
Syd says:
Hang lescott
September 20 at 8:48 pm
Fifa las vegas says:
yes juanfran my first goal, he’s on my bench but i’ve so many not playing he’ll come in easily
September 20 at 8:55 pm
Declan says:
Anybody watching the Spurs game? How has Bale played?
September 20 at 9:11 pm
bdwhite91 says:
Great. Robbed of an assist though. Dempsey had a diving header on a beautiful cross, but was wrongly called offside.
September 20 at 9:12 pm
bdwhite91 says:
He’s back behind the front 3 with Dembele, but making runs all over the pitch.
September 20 at 9:29 pm
Gav says:
Do i play Davies (swansea), Demel or Sterling at the weekend?
I’m thinking sterling.
September 20 at 9:35 pm
bdwhite91 says:
This ref sucks! Spurs should have 2.
September 20 at 9:47 pm
octokiddie says:
McAuley Reid Demel Bertrand: who should I bench?