Arsenal were reportedly close to completing a deadline-day deal for Real Betis forward Pablo Garcia before Racing Santander swooped in to sign the 20-year-old, according to the La Liga club's sporting director.
The Gunners appeared to have a relatively low-key finish to the summer transfer window, with the departures of Gabriel Martinelli and Gabriel Jesus to Barcelona finalised and Ethan Nwaneri sent out on loan to Borussia Dortmund. There was also interest in Atletico Madrid's Julian Alvarez, though no formal offer was submitted. However, it now appears the north London club had additional plans in motion behind the scenes, with Garcia emerging as a potential late addition to their attacking options.
Garcia, who has represented Real Betis since the age of six, was sold to Racing Santander for a fee of £4.3 million, with Betis inserting a 20 percent sell-on clause into the agreement. The move brought an emotional farewell for the player, who reportedly left in tears despite having pushed for a transfer in search of greater first-team opportunities. Garcia had also drawn interest from Hull City and Olympiacos earlier in the window.
Racing Santander's sporting director, Chema Aragon, revealed that his club managed to hijack what looked like a done deal for the young winger. "It seemed like it was done with Arsenal, and then we came in too on loan," Aragon said in a press conference on Wednesday. He added that the structure of the transfer shifted at the last moment, explaining, "(On Tuesday) things changed, and what seemed to be a loan turned into a shared ownership deal."
The Seville-born forward made his breakthrough into Betis' first team last season, featuring in 25 matches but scoring just twice. Despite limited goal returns, his performances were enough to attract interest from multiple clubs across Europe, including a Premier League side of Arsenal's stature.
Had the move to the Emirates Stadium gone through, Garcia would have faced a steep climb up the depth chart. Reports suggest he would have started behind established wide options Bukayo Saka and Noni Madueke, as well as newly signed forward Christos Tzolis, raising questions about how much playing time he would have realistically received in north London this season.
Instead, Garcia now finds himself at Racing Santander, where he will likely be given a more prominent role to continue his development. The unusual nature of the deal — shifting from a straightforward loan to a shared ownership arrangement in the final hours of the window — highlights the chaotic nature of deadline day dealings, where clubs often pivot quickly to secure targets.
For Arsenal, the failed pursuit of Garcia represents a minor footnote in what was otherwise a window focused on squad refinement rather than major incoming business. The club's front-line options remain stocked with established talent, and the addition of a promising but unproven winger may not have significantly altered their plans for the campaign ahead.
For Betis, letting go of a player who came through their youth ranks since childhood marked a bittersweet moment, tempered by the sell-on clause that could yield further returns should Garcia's career continue to progress at Racing Santander or beyond.
Based on reporting from Standard Sport.