Report: Barcelona furious after Puyol steers youngster to Manchester City

Carles Puyol has soured relations with the only club he represented in his playing days, Barcelona, after he tempted one of its rising stars to Manchester City, The Telegraph's Ed Malyon reports.

Eric Garcia, a 16-year-old defender, is one of the most highly regarded youngsters in the famed La Masia academy but - with the guidance of an agency firm headed up by Puyol and fellow Barcelona product Ivan de la Pena - he's set to join Manchester City's youth contingent this summer.

City will pay a fee of €1.5 million to nab Garcia from Barcelona, according to Marca's Luis F. Rojo, after Puyol identified the English club as a better destination for his client to fulfill his undoubted potential. The fledgling has drawn comparisons to Gerard Pique, and is set for a three-year contract in Lancashire.

His switch to Manchester City would mark the second time Puyol and his associates have pried a player from Barcelona after Marc Bartra joined Borussia Dortmund last summer.

(Photo courtesy: Action Images)

And Garcia's exit could precede another La Masia departure: Carles Alena - a 19-year-old midfielder (pictured above) - who's also on Puyol's books, is linked with a transfer to Tottenham Hotspur, Malyon notes.

Barcelona is desperate to stem the flow of youth-team players leaving the club for derisory fees or nothing. Cesc Fabregas joined Arsenal from La Masia in search of minutes in 2003 and, eight years later, it cost €35 million for Barcelona to broker his return. A similar script could be followed by the Gunners' €45-million-rated right-back Hector Bellerin this summer.

Elsewhere, Mauro Icardi, Balde Keita, and Alex Grimaldo have blossomed since being undervalued by Barcelona, and there's plenty of excitement surrounding the fleet-footed Jordi Mboula's bargain €3-million transfer to Monaco last week.

Related: Monaco nabs Mboula from Barcelona

When it comes to the policy of promoting academy graduates or, failing that, profiting from them, City might be stealing a march on Barcelona. Lauded City teenagers Jadon Sancho, Phil Foden, and Brahim Diaz are set to be given first-team opportunities this pre-season, and around £10 million was made from the sale of Enes Unal to Villarreal in May.