FC Barcelona received a significant blow on the injury front as they saw their starting goalkeeper, Marc Andre Ter Stegen, tear his patellar tendon of the right knee. This injury is expected to keep the German goalkeeper out of action till the end of this season.
There is no doubt that Ter Stegen’s injury left Hansi Flick’s team without a trusted pair of hands between the sticks, but fortunately, his replacement, Inaki Pena has been up to the task of replacing him. The Spaniard has not really given many causes for complaint and has also saved the Blaugranes in several difficult situations.
With these performances, the goalkeeper has dispelled any doubts among the Catalan club’s hierarchy about his ability, and according to Mundo Deportivo, Barcelona believe that Pena has earned a contract renewal with his performances on the pitch. Thus, the club will offer him a new contract in the coming few months.
The Spaniard has been quite good since he got in Hansi Flick’s starting line-up, and he kept his composure in the difficult matches against Bayern Munich and Real Madrid. He was also up to the task for most part of the last game against Borussia Dortmund.
That is why Hansi Flick has also given his nod to a potential renewal, even though the German trainer prefers not to get engaged too much in contractual affairs. Flick also values Pena’s personality.
In addition to Flick, Deco and the rest of the squad are also quite happy with the goalie, even though there have been some moments in which he has had to face criticism.
Pena’s current contract with Barcelona, which was last renewed in 2023, goes till 2026 and has a termination clause of €400 million.
At present, he is clearly above Wojciech Szczesny in the pecking order, but once Ter Stegen returns from his injury, it remains to be seen how things will unfold for the Spaniard, as the club suspects they might receive offers for him.
