Barcelona plan on offering new goalkeeper a contract renewal for next season | OneFootball

So far this season, FC Barcelona have been flying under the leadership of Hansi Flick. The German coach has helped the team find a new identity and it has been one that the players have responded to quite positively. Unfortunately, however, this season has not been all sunshine and rainbows for FC Barcelona.

Injuries have been a constant worry, and they have come to crucial players as well from time to time. Fortunately for Barcelona, some of those players are currently nearing a return and could be back in action sooner rather than later depending on their respective recoveries.

One player whose return still seems to be quite some time away, however, is Marc-Andre Ter Stegen. Following his long-term injury, the Barcelona captain and first-choice goalkeeper had to be sidelined and is still in the process of finding the quickest way back to action.

To replace him and provide some extra depth in the goalkeeping position, Barcelona ended up signing Polish goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny during the official season. While the player has not played a single minute for the team just yet, mainly due to Inaki Peña’s solid displays, the club is already contemplating his continuity.

According to MARCA, Barcelona director Deco and coach Hansi Flick already seem to appreciate the kind of character he is and the way he is handling his situation. So much so that, according to the report, the club may consider extending his stay beyond this season.

By staying mature and still working hard consistently in training in order to be ready at a moment’s notice if Hansi Flick needs him to step in, Szczesny has left no reason for Barcelona to even be worried about his commitment. In fact, as Deco himself stated previously, the player’s spirit and dedication is appreciated:

“Szczesny hasn’t played yet. What he first came here to provide was balance, competitiveness, and he is someone the locker room really likes. He arrived with a positive spirit, and that’s important for the locker room dynamics. We are happy with what he’s doing.”

As for if he ends up playing or not, Deco has left that decision up to the coach and how he decides to balance the competition between the Pole and the current Spanish starter:

“The decision to play will always be up to the coach, but I think the competitiveness within the squad is important. What we want with Szczesny is for him and Iñaki to compete for the starting role, working and respecting each other.”

It remains to be seen just how soon Szczesny ends up having his debut this season for Barcelona. Until then, his continuity beyond this season is pure speculation and it will likely make more sense once the player has been seen in action and his true value can be understood.

However, it is also true that Pena’s stay beyond this season could be brought into question as well. It remains to be assessed if the Spaniard is okay with being Ter Stegen’s back-up option once the German arrives, or if he would want to leave to find more regular playing time. In either case, the club reportedly seems to think that retaining Szczesny could be a safe decision.