Barça has a blessed problem with two goalkeepers of the caliber of Ter Stegen and Szczesny. The Polish goalkeeper arrived at a time of great need and as a backup. However, during the injury of the Barça captain, he earned his place, relegating Iñaki Peña. With the season over and the titles in the bag, the starting goalkeeper returned to the lineup for the last few games.
For next season, Barça’s idea is to have both players in goal, but Szczesny’s contract renewal is still pending. In addition, seeing how Ter Stegen has returned from injury, giving him more playing time, as well as the age of both players, means that FC Barcelona is looking for options for its goalkeeping position in the transfer market. There are many unknowns to be resolved between the sticks at Can Barça.
Szczesny’s renewal on the to-do list
One of those unknowns is the renewal of Szczesny, who has not yet signed to continue in the Barça goal. He has become one of the men of the season with great saves that have earned him the spot ahead of Iñaki Peña as Hansi Flick’s number one. With this great season, it is not surprising that his renewal is a top priority for Deco.
A few weeks ago, Deco considered the renewal a done deal, saying, “We are happy with him and he will surely continue with us,” but the renewal has not been finalized. Joan Laporta made it clear a few days ago that an agreement will be reached: “We want him to stay. The other day he was celebrating the victory by smoking a cigar. I saw that he wanted to stay. We also have good goalkeepers in the reserve team and in the youth academy.”
Everything points to that, although Szczesny himself showed his reluctance just a few days ago. “I think if I extend my contract, it will be because I am convinced that I am a guarantee of quality on the bench next season. So I have to decide because this is also a new situation for me. I have to assess whether I am mentally capable of accepting it, of supporting Marc and helping him throughout the season,” said Tek.
Deco talks about the goalkeeper position
“We have two goalkeepers. The idea is to continue with Szczesny and Ter Stegen. Then we’ll see what Iñaki decides. In two years, the team will need another goalkeeper due to age. We have talented players at home, but we have to see how they develop. Joan García? I know very little about goalkeepers. It’s true that our scouting department is working to gather information. And Joan is a good goalkeeper.” In recent hours, there has been talk of an agreement with the Espanyol goalkeeper, which, although not ruled out, does not seem as close as it initially appeared. This opens the door to new options.
Bart Verbruggen on the list of potential signings
FC Barcelona is keeping an eye on the progress of Bart Verbruggen, a goalkeeper who is shining with Brighton and the Netherlands national team, according to Footmercato. The player has a contract until 2028 and a market value of $25 million, which would make him a relatively affordable signing. He is a very tall goalkeeper who is good between the posts and plays very well with his feet. His progress has been amazing.
However, the newspaper Sport, which also reports the same interest, points out that Barça’s scouts are keeping a close eye on the 22-year-old Dutchman’s progress. Despite his youth, he has been a regular starter at Brighton, with whom he has a good relationship as Ansu Fati was on loan there. The information from the aforementioned media outlet suggests, however, that they could consider signing him in the summer of 2026. According to sSport, Barça scouts are keeping a close eye on the 22-year-old Dutch goalkeeper, who is already a regular starter for both Brighton and the Netherlands national team.