Barcelona have openly admitted an interest in Girona midfielder Aleix Garcia, with Deco declaring that he is a talent, and Garcia also admitted in November that he was interested in making a move to the Catalan capital. Whether the two clubs can agree on the numbers remains in question, but Garcia’s numbers are beyond query.

According to data gathered by MD , Garcia is third-best rated midfielder according to a big data analysis, behind Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham and Toni Kroos. In terms of pass accuracy, Garcia ranks second to Frenkie de Jong, and third in terms of pass frequency, making just under 70 per game. De Jong again tops that chart, while Las Palmas captain Kirian Rodriguez is second ahead of Garcia. The 26-year-old is also second behind Kroos in terms of long passes, at 6.5 per game.

Being Kroos’ second is no consolation prize and certainly beyond the numbers, Garcia has stood out as one of the outstanding midfielders this season, following an impressive campaign last year. Girona manager Michel Sanchez has placed him in charge as the director of his orchestra, and often it is Garcia moving his teammates around and finding solutions.

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