Barcelona identify two goalkeepers as potential January reinforcements after Ter Stegen injury | OneFootball

The thumping 5-1 win over Villarreal was soured for Barcelona by the serious injury sustained by goalkeeper and captain Marc-Andre ter Stegen.

Preliminary tests reveal a very serious knee injury for the club captain, with his season suspected to be over already.

This leaves Barcelona in a difficult position as Inaki Pena has not always convinced when asked to step in for the German international between the sticks.

As such, the idea of signing a replacement is being considered seriously, with the Catalans being able to bring in a free agent as an emergency signing or wait until January to recruit someone.

A number of free agents are available as options, but Barça have also identified two options for the winter window in the form of Unai Simon and Mio Backhaus, reports Jota Jordi on El Chiringuito TV.

Unai Simon (Athletic Club)

Unai Simon on Barcelona’s radar. (Photo by Richard Pelham/Getty Images)

As per the report, Barcelona really like the idea of roping in Unai Simon from Athletic Club during the January transfer window.

The 27-year-old has been one of the top goalkeepers in La Liga for a number of seasons now and is the No. 1 for the Spanish national team as well. Having undergone surgery during the summer, he is yet to play a game this season and is only expected to return in December.

However, any move for Simon would be extremely complicated considering that he has a contract at Athletic until 2029 and would command a huge fee. Furthermore, the relationship between the two clubs is far from ideal after the Nico Williams saga in the summer.

Mio Backhaus (Werder Bremen)

The 20-year-old Backhaus is also on Barcelona’s agenda for January, as per the report, and could be a viable option considering he has not played a single game for Werder Bremen this season after returning from an impressive loan stint at FC Volendam.

The Blaugrana have been linked with a move for Backhaus since the summer and finances permitting, could go after the young shot-stopper in January. Given his age, he can be groomed to take over from Ter Stegen full time in the years to come.