Since quite some time now, there has been a lot of speculation surrounding FC Barcelona regarding a new signing. This information began to spread following the potentially season-ending injury to German goalkeeper Marc-Andre Ter Stegen. Given La Liga’s special consideration for injuries like his, it made sense for Barcelona to be linked to such a move.
Now, with some time having passed since the injury that the Barcelona captain suffered, the club is in a better position to act upon a more informed decision and having assessed the options that they had access to in the market for such a role.
Ultimately, after days of speculation and reports suggesting that a certain Polish goalkeeper will be the one to return from retirement and help Barcelona in these times of need, the official confirmation has now arrived as well. Just today, a new face will be joining the Catalan club.
As officially revealed by FC Barcelona, Polish goalkeeper and former Juventus player Wojciech Szczesny will be the man to join the Catalan giants this season. After having been in attendance for the recent game against Young Boys, he will now be an official part of the team.
According to the details provided, it will be a short-term contract that will see him represent Barcelona for the remainder of this season. He is expected to compete with current starter Inaki Pena as Hansi Flick will be given the subsequent task of managing both goalkeepers accordingly.
With the Pole’s great experience and quality, Barcelona will surely feel much more secure knowing they have his help to count on as well now. Moreover, given how close he is to Robert Lewandowski, it will surely not be that hard for him to get accustomed to his new home.
However, he will not be guaranteed a starting spot right away. Given that he has recently just returned from retirement, it will likely take time to get him up to speed again and even then he would be expected to compete against Pena on the basis of merit.