The Future of Szczesny at Barcelona: Is a Renewal on the Horizon?

Wojciech Szczesny could resolve his future at FC Barcelona soon. According to 'SPORT', the Blaugrana board is evaluating renewing the experienced goalkeeper for one more season thanks to the confidence reaffirmed by Hansi Flick in recent weeks. The Polish player would have no issues being a backup to Marc-André ter Stegen next season, a role for which he has more than proven himself after coming out of retirement last October.

Initially, 'Tek' only considered a brief stint at Barça (nine months) to conclude his sporting career. The Polish player was patient in waiting for his opportunity on the bench, knowing that the tough schedule for the Catalans in January could open the door to the starting lineup. Ultimately, a delay from Iñaki Peña in a training session tipped the scales in his favor in the Supercopa de España and, despite a couple of costly errors against Real Madrid and Benfica, the '25' has responded to Flick's trust.

In this sense, both the club and the 34-year-old player are willing to negotiate a contract extension in the coming weeks. For now, however, there is no rush, and the idea is for Szczesny to remain focused on performing at his best to maintain his starting position. Against Valencia (0-5), the experienced goalkeeper achieved his fourth clean sheet in eight appearances this season and took another firm step to remain in the Catalan goal across all competitions.

The renewal of Szczesny would seal Iñaki Peña's fate at Barcelona

However, Wojciech's stay in Barcelona would have a direct impact on Iñaki Peña's future. Although the Alicante native maintains a good relationship with the Polish player, he has not taken Flick's decision to condemn him to the bench in 2025 well, as he believes he has done a good job during the three months he occupied the Blaugrana goal (conceding 25 goals in 22 matches, with 6 clean sheets).

With Szczesny as a fixed backup to Ter Stegen, the 25-year-old goalkeeper would find himself without a place in the squad, and considering that his contract expires in 2026, it is very likely that the club will opt for a transfer close to 10 million euros. The homegrown player has played 44 matches with the first team, with only one yellow card, no expulsions, and ten clean sheets. On average, he concedes 1.45 goals per match.