Arsenal held late talks for Pablo García but never submitted expected transfer offer

Arsenal explored a late move for Real Betis winger Pablo García during the final days of the summer transfer window, but the Gunners ultimately stopped short of making a formal offer.

The 20-year-old had been identified as a long-term prospect rather than an immediate first-team option for Mikel Arteta.

According to Estadio Deportivo, Arsenal contacted García’s representatives through intermediaries and made clear they were interested in completing a deal before sending him out on loan.

The financial demands involved were reportedly well within Arsenal’s reach.

Rather than bringing García straight into Arteta’s senior squad, the plan was to secure his future and immediately find him a temporary club where he could continue developing.

That led the player’s camp to begin considering possible loan destinations.

Racing Santander emerged as one option, while Getafe was also discussed. Hull City and Wolves had previously shown interest earlier in the summer.

At that point, Racing were effectively being considered as a possible temporary destination for a player who would first become Arsenal property.

Despite the groundwork, Arsenal never followed through with an official proposal.

That provides important clarification after Racing sporting director Chema Aragón previously suggested the Arsenal deal had appeared to be “done”.

In reality, Arsenal’s intention to make an offer never progressed into a formal bid.

That hesitation gave Racing the opportunity to change the structure of their own move.

Rather than taking García on loan, the Spanish club began negotiating directly with Betis over a permanent transfer.

Racing eventually secured García in a deal worth around €5million (£4.3m) for 50 per cent of his rights.

Betis retained the other half along with a matching right on future offers, allowing them to maintain significant control over the winger’s long-term value.

The outcome means Arsenal effectively carried out much of the early work without completing the most important step.

They contacted the player’s camp, discussed the transfer and explored possible development destinations, but never submitted the offer required to secure him.

Racing took advantage and transformed what might have been a loan arrangement into a permanent deal of their own.

García will now continue his development at Racing rather than under Arsenal’s ownership.

For the Gunners, the story underlines how close they came to securing another young prospect without actually completing the deal.

If García develops strongly in Spain, Arsenal could potentially revisit their interest in the future, but Racing and Betis now control the situation rather than the Premier League club.