The goalkeeping position at Barcelona has been a real headache in recent weeks. When everything pointed to Ter Stegen and Szczesny and the departure of Iñaki Peña, Joan García entered the scene and caused an earthquake.
The arrival of the Espanyol goalkeeper started a war with Marc-André and has delayed the departure of the Alicante-born goalkeeper, as he is currently the only one available who is not injured and registered. A solution to the registration problem seems to be getting closer, and Peña’s departure is back on the cards, with Celta once again interested in signing him.
Iñaki Peña and a departure on hold
Iñaki Peña has had a difficult season at Barcelona. With Ter Stegen’s long-term injury, it was his time to step up and be the wall the team needed. However, arriving late proved costly as he missed out on the Super Cup and from that moment on, Szczesny never left the goal. He became Hansi Flick’s number one, condemning the Alicante-born goalkeeper to ostracism.
Iñaki still has a year left on his contract, but it was clear that neither the club was counting on the player nor was the player willing to spend another year without playing. Over the last few weeks, there have been rumors of different suitors, but the truth is that no concrete offer has been made and, moreover, the goalkeeper’s departure is on hold until the team resolves the registration issue.
Right now, with less than two weeks to go before the first league game, the only registered and available goalkeeper is Iñaki Peña. Ter Stegen is out with an injury after undergoing back surgery, and Joan García and Szczesny are waiting for a spot to open up in the payroll to be registered.
Joan García’s registration is getting closer
A registration that seems increasingly likely. The club is awaiting several developments, but is confident that the situation will be resolved in the next 5-6 days. In other words, the club believes that its biggest signing in this transfer window, Joan García, will be registered this week with enough time to start the league season and without having to rely on Ter Stegen’s injury, which is still being managed.
His registration takes priority over that of Szczesny and Rashford, which are also expected to be resolved shortly. The club is waiting for the Congo sponsorship deal to be validated, as well as the sale of VIP seats, which was rejected last March, leaving the team outside the 1:1 rule. Everything seems to be on track, which allows Iñaki Peña’s departure to resume.
Celta returns to the scene
With the door open and the Joan García registration issue about to be resolved, Iñaki Peña once again has a clear path to leave, and that is where Celta Vigo comes in. The Vigo-based club has been after the Alicante-born player for some time, but with the signing of Romanian Ionut Andrei Radu, everything had been forgotten. However, during the preseason, the goalkeeper has been raising many doubts, which, according to Sport, has brought him closer to the Barça player again. In principle, in the absence of offers, FC Barcelona’s idea is to negotiate the termination of Iñaki Peña’s contract once Joan is registered, so that the player will be free to sign wherever he wants. Celta is only considering this possibility, meaning that he will only arrive at Balaídos if there is no transfer fee involved and if he agrees to a pay cut.