Manchester City’s Eric Garcia joins Sergio Aguero and Lionel Messi at Barcelona

It seems like Barcelona are going for the ‘if you can’t beat them, sign the’ option as they have secured another player from English Premier League champions Manchester City.

Barcelona announced on Tuesday they have reached a deal to sign defender Eric Garcia from City, bringing the 20-year-old defender home after he left the club in 2017 to join the English giants.

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).

Garcia joins Sergio Aguero in leaving City days after losing the Champions League final to join financially troubled Barcelona as free agents without a transfer fee.

Barcelona suffered a torrid time in the past campaign, finishing third in La Liga, behind champiions Atletico Madrid and arch-rivals Real Madrid - and without a trophy to their name.

Garcia will first join up with Spain’s squad for the Euros, held in 12 cities across Europe for the first time. He is a regular member of the national squad despite not establishing himself in City coach Pep Guardiola’s City team.

Accomplished on the ball, Garcia seemed to struggled to adapt to the typically physical side of playing in the Premier League.