After not having brought any new players into Hansi Flick’s team in the last winter transfer window, FC Barcelona are likely to bring some reinforcements next summer.
In this window, the Blaugranes are expected to bring in another forward to add more depth to their already set attacking line, while other areas, like the flanks, might also be strengthened.
However, another position that the Catalans understand they need to strengthen in the long run is that of the goalkeeper. Their starting goalkeeper, Marc Andre Ter Stegen, is currently out with a serious injury, and his replacement, Wojciech Szczesny, is also 34 years of age. Inaki Pena’s future at the club is also highly uncertain following his decline in prominence in recent months.
In such a context, Fichajes reports that Barcelona have already identified three main candidates for this purpose, i.e., Bart Verbruggen, Lucas Chevalier, and Joan García. All of these options are still quite young and thus meet the requirement of the Blaugrana team to get a shot-stopper for the next ten years.
Verbruggen is 22 years of age and currently playing for the Premier League side Brighton and Hove Albion. The Dutch shot-stopper has a contract till 2028 and his agility and ability to play with his feet makes him a highly interesting option for the Catalans. His signing will cost around €30 million.
The second option, Lucas Chevalier, is also highly interesting, especially because of his future projection and ability in one-on-one situations. He has amply showcased these abilities with Lille, with whom he has a contract till 2027. His signing will cost almost the same as Verbruggen’s.
The last option is present closer to home for Barcelona and is none other than the starting goalkeeper of their traditional rivals Espanyol, i.e., Joan García. The 23-year-old is under contract with Espanyol until 2028, and his €30 million release clause makes securing his signing a challenging task for the Blaugranes.
Hansi Flick will approve the arrival of any of these goalkeepers, but a final decision will be made only after assessing how Ter Stegen returns from his injury and the budget available to Barcelona.
