Out-of-favor Barcelona goalkeeper not looking to force his stay till the end of his contract | OneFootball

The goalkeeping position is one of the most uncertain areas of this FC Barcelona team as the Blaugranes look to strengthen their team ahead of the 2025-26 season. They want to improve even further after an incredible 2024-25 season in which they won the La Liga, Copa del Rey, and Spanish Super Cup titles, while also reaching the UEFA Champions League semi-finals.

The Catalans are quite near to completing the signing of the Spanish goalkeeper Joan Garcia, while Wojciech Szczesny is also reportedly ready to sign his renewal. Neither of these operations has been officially completed yet, but reports indicate that these are going in the right direction.

Garcia and Szczesny are set to be the top two players in the goalkeeping pecking order for Hansi Flick, which leaves the likes of Marc-Andre ter Stegen with a highly uncertain future, and with his name on the exit list.

Inaki Pena not looking to force his stay

This is also the case with Inaki Pena, who was already expected to leave Barcelona after losing his starting spot to Szczesny last season when ter Stegen was out with an injury.

As things stand, no steps have been taken for his departure. He still has one year left on his contract, but according to Mundo Deportivo, the goalkeeper is not looking to force his stay till the end of his contract to get a big signing bonus next year.

Barcelona goalkeeper Inaki Pena. [Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images]

The goalkeeper is looking for a good sporting project

The Spaniard understands that he does not have a position in Hansi Flick’s squad, and as his desire is to continue playing, he prioritizes leaving. However, this also does not mean that he will leave even for a club that does not really convince him, as the most important thing for him is a good sporting project.

Previously, two clubs had shown an interest in him, i.e., Celta Vigo and Galatasaray. However, both these sides are prioritizing other targets. Similarly, Valencia also seemed interested in him, but no offer has materialized from this club either.

However, it is still quite early in the summer, and there are several months available to Inaki Pena to finalize his future.