Mess in Barcelona's goal: Who will be the starter?

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La Liga

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Barcelona Real Madrid

10/05/26 21:00:00

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At FC Barcelona, they continue to ponder what will happen in the goalkeeper position for the 2025/2026 season. The name of Joan García has been on the table for weeks and appears to be Flick's choice for the starting spot. The issue the German coach faces is that the new signing for Barça would be the fourth goalkeeper in the squad, so he needs to streamline exits and decide who will form the starting-substitute duo in the Barça goal.

The one who seems certain to leave Barça's ranks is Iñaki Peña. After Ter Stegen's injury, the young academy player took over the goalkeeper spot ahead of Szczęsny, who had just been signed. His performances earned him applause and congratulations from the press and fans. Everything seemed to indicate that Barcelona's goal would have a new occupant for the coming years as he appeared to be Ter Stegen's great successor, the starting goalkeeper for the last 10 years. However, everything changed in January.

Being late for a chat cost him the starting position in the Spanish Super Cup, giving way to Szczęsny, who gradually secured the starting role for Barça until the end of the season. Iñaki Peña never regained the starting spot and his contract expires in 2026, so Barcelona needs to sell him, without a doubt. The question is, who might be interested in him and at what price. With a market value of 8 million, he could be sold for half or less.

Regarding Szczęsny, the Polish goalkeeper has a contract extension offer on the table for 1+1, meaning one year with the option for another year. It seems he will accept it, but he has preferred to take some time to think it over, knowing that just a year ago he was retired. He knows he would be the backup goalkeeper, so it remains to be seen what he decides. Although he has not responded yet, and it has been over two weeks since it was offered to him, the feeling within the Barça board is that he will say yes and accept being the second goalkeeper for Barça next season.

Ter Stegen, the major issue

The German goalkeeper's performance has declined since 2021. The club is very pleased with the contribution he has made since 2015, but they are aware that Marc-André's knee issues have lowered his level. He ventures less out of the goal due to his fear of driving off the back of those knee discomforts, and his reflexes under the crossbar have diminished.

Barcelona knows that Ter Stegen has completed a cycle and they do not count on him for the next season. This decision rests with Flick and Deco, but they face a serious problem: the German has three more years on his contract, earning about six million net per season.

Ter Stegen is deeply rooted in Barcelona. His family is delighted to live there and he does not want to leave. Furthermore, he knows he has a contract for three more years and his intention is to stay and fight for the starting spot.

Therefore, Laporta faces a tough decision. They know that Ter Stegen is not eager to leave Barcelona and that his contract is among the highest in the squad. Few clubs could afford such an operation, considering that the goalkeeper is yet to collect 42 million gross by 2028. For someone of his age and caliber, it is unlikely that any club would put all that money on the table.

Some German clubs have inquired about his situation. He even received a formal offer from Galatasaray, willing to offer him three million net per year, but Ter Stegen rejected it. He is upset with the leaked information to the press and the fact that they do not consider him despite the three remaining years on his contract.

Barcelona wants to play the card that the World Cup is in 2026 and that Ter Stegen aims to be the starter, with a declining Neuer. It would be his big opportunity, and spending the entire year on the bench would be disastrous for his ambitions, but he believes in his potential and that he can compete for the starting spot against Joan García.

Currently, all sports predictions point to Joan García as the clear favorite to be the starting goalkeeper for Barcelona in the 2025/2026 season. He was the best goalkeeper in the League last season and also aspires to be the starting goalkeeper for the Spanish National Team in the upcoming World Cup. At Espanyol, he knew he would never convince Luis de la Fuente, so he has decided to take this step and become the goalkeeper of a top team like Barça.

As we have learned, Flick himself called Joan to confirm that he is counting on him as the starting goalkeeper for next year. That call convinced the young keeper to choose Barça. The main issue Barça may encounter is if Ter Stegen decides not to leave and competes for the starting spot against Joan.

It would be a time bomb in the locker room, with a heavyweight like Marc holding onto his spot and making things challenging within the club. Not to mention that Szczęsny could also accept the offer and stay, increasing the payroll and further complicating the goalkeeper situation.

Everything suggests, as we mentioned, that Joan will secure the position. However, if they fail to persuade Ter Stegen that his time is up and he should seek another team, or if they terminate his contract, agreeing to pay him a portion of what is left unpaid to him, losing money, Barcelona's goalkeeper situation this summer could be significant. We will see how this all unfolds in the coming weeks.
 

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Lío en la portería del Barcelona: ¿Quién será el titular?