Barcelona’s plan with young goalkeeping prodigy amid uncertainty | OneFootball

Despite Barcelona finally reaching a reconciliation with Marc-Andre ter Stegen, with the German handing over his medical report and being reinstated as club captain, his long-term future at the club remains uncertain.

The same can be said for Inaki Pena, who appears to be on his way out after falling out of Hansi Flick’s plans.

Meanwhile, Joan Garcia and Wojciech Szczesny, expected to be the top two goalkeeping options for the upcoming season, are still yet to be officially registered.

This delay has led to much uncertainty as Barcelona gear up for their season opener against Mallorca. And in this very context, the role of Diego Kochen becomes interesting.

Barcelona’s plan with Diego Kochen

A recent report from Diario SPORT has offered a comprehensive update on Barcelona and their plans with Diego Kochen.

The 19-year-old Miami-born goalkeeper began pre-season with the first team, travelling with Flick’s squad to Japan and South Korea and even featuring ahead of Pena in the friendly win over Daegu.

Diego Kochen will be Barcelona’s third-choice goalkepeer next season (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)

Such a decision from Flick was a clear indication that Kochen is part of the club’s longer-term thinking.

Barcelona’s plan for the teenager is clear: He will be the third-choice goalkeeper for the first team, training regularly under Jose Ramon De la Fuente, while also playing matches for Barça Atletic to maintain competitive sharpness.

Kochen returned to train with Juliano Belletti’s side on Thursday, preparing for a season in the Segunda RFEF as they aim for immediate promotion after relegation.

Unlike Ander Astralaga and Aron Yaakobishvili, who were loaned out to higher divisions, Kochen has been kept in-house to continue his development under Barcelona’s supervision.

His performances will also be closely monitored by United States head coach Mauricio Pochettino, who has already called him up four times.