Will Wojciech Szczesny Be Barcelona’s First-choice Goalkeeper This Season?

Will Wojciech Szczesny Be Barcelona’s First-choice Goalkeeper This Season?

Wojciech Szczesny has reportedly not been guaranteed the starting goalkeeper position at Barcelona for the 2024-25 season, with the experienced player potentially serving as backup to Inaki Pena.

Barcelona were dealt a blow with the news that their first-choice goalkeeper, Marc-Andre ter Stegen, will miss the rest of the season due to a serious knee injury.

Pena has stepped in, starting the last two matches in Ter Stegen’s absence, and will again be in goal for Saturday’s La Liga clash against Osasuna.

The Catalan club is set to bring in another goalkeeper, with Szczesny expected to join on a free transfer after leaving Juventus this summer. Szczesny made 35 appearances for Juventus in the 2023-24 season before his contract was mutually terminated, with initial reports suggesting he was considering retirement.

Szczesny is expected to sign a one-year contract with Barcelona.
The former Poland international is set to join Camp Nou for the remainder of the season, with the deal potentially finalized before the weekend.

The 34-year-old will reportedly earn around €3m (£2.5m) this season, but journalist Matteo Moretto suggests there are no guarantees he will be the first-choice goalkeeper.

While Szczesny is aiming for the starting position, he understands that he could serve as backup to Inaki Pena if the Spaniard continues to perform well.

During a press conference on Friday, Barcelona manager Hansi Flick expressed confidence in Pena’s ability to be the starting goalkeeper for the rest of the season.

Flick backs Pena ahead of new goalkeeper arrival
“Yes, he can be (the starter for the entire season). He’s working well, and gaining confidence with each game. We’ll see how things develop,” said the Barcelona manager.

“Inaki Pena has been involved in all the meetings and training sessions. In the last match, you could see a great connection between him and his teammates. He’s here to improve, and tomorrow is another step forward.”

Pena, who joined Barcelona in 2012 and rose through the youth ranks, made his debut for Barcelona B in 2018. The former Spain Under-21 international earned his first senior appearance in 2022 and has now played 24 times across all competitions for the club.

Last season, Pena made 10 La Liga appearances during Ter Stegen’s absence and will look to surpass that number in the 2024-25 campaign.