Aston Villa have officially confirmed the signing of defender Andres Garcia from Levante. The 21-year-old joins the Birmingham-based club for a fee of around £6 million, with an additional £1 million in add-ons, marking their second acquisition of the January transfer window.
Andres Garcia has spent his entire career at Levante, currently competing in Spain’s second division. He rose through the club’s youth ranks before making his senior debut during the 2022/23 season. Since then, he has made 49 appearances for the team, scoring four goals and providing six assists.
Garcia’s physicality, exceptional defensive positioning, and pace made him a top priority for head coach Unai Emery, who chose him over other targets for the right-back position. Among the alternatives considered were Celta Vigo’s Oscar Mingueza, Rayo Vallecano’s Andrei Ratiu, and Flamengo’s Wesley Franca.
Garcia becomes Aston Villa’s second signing of the January transfer window, following the arrival of Donyell Malen from Borussia Dortmund last week. Malen was brought in to replace Jaden Philogene in the attacking department. However, given Villa’s activity in the winter transfer market, Garcia may not be their final acquisition.