Barcelona have decided to pursue Polish goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny, offering him the chance to come out of retirement, in order to soften the impact of losing Marc-Andre ter Stegen to injury for at least the majority of the season. There are several motives behind pursuing the retired Szczesny over the likes of Keylor Navas or other free agent goalkeepers.
The first motive for signing him is clear: the 34-year-old Szczesny is experienced, and played more games for Juventus last season than their other options, Inaki Pena, Ander Astralaga and Diego Kochen, have played for Barcelona put together. Marca also point out his consistent performance, and the fact he was still performing well for Poland at Euro 2024.
Another advantage is that Szczesny would be able to play immediately in the Champions League, and give them experience in European competition, where the Blaugrana have seven more games in the league phase. If they do wait until January, then any potential signing will only be available for the final two games.
It goes without saying that Szczesny, who will reportedly command a salary of around €3m plus bonuses, is a much more economic option than signing another goalkeeper from another side in January. Finally, Szczesny should be able to adapt relatively quickly. Currently living in Marbella with his family, he is used to spending his summers in Spain, and his close friendship with Robert Lewandowski will aid him in settling in to Barcelona.
The deal is still not done yet, and it does appear that Szczesny has given the Blaugrana a decision to make. Reportedly he will only come out of retirement if he is to be the number one at Barcelona, which seems a reasonable demand from his point of view. However it does leave Barcelona in an awkward position with current first-choice Inaki Pena. It is not yet clear if Szczesny wants guarantees too if ter Stegen returns from injury before the end of the season.
