Key decision: Flick lands in Barcelona with focus on Ter Stegen's future

Hansi Flick cuts short his vacation and lands this Thursday in Barcelona with an urgent mission: to sort out the puzzle of the FC Barcelona goal, which currently has four names for two places.

The German coach begins his preparation stage with a key meeting with his coaching staff and Deco, to address both the signings and pending departures.

The figure of Marc-André ter Stegen, team captain and under contract until 2028, will be one of the major focuses of attention. Flick wants to make Joan García his starting goalkeeper, which reconfigures the board of decisions at Can Barça, where some protagonists are still reluctant to make a move.

Flick lands urgently in Barcelona to resolve the "overbooking" in the goal

FC Barcelona coach Hansi Flick has ended his vacation earlier than expected and will arrive this Thursday in the city of Barcelona to begin planning for the 2025/26 season. After a few days between Germany and Formentera, the German coach comes to the Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper with a folder marked in red: the surplus of goalkeepers in the first team.

Currently, Barça has four goalkeepers in the first team dynamic: Joan García, recently signed; Wojciech Szczesny, renewed until 2027; Iñaki Peña, with a predisposition to leave; and the immovable Marc-André ter Stegen. This concentration of names under the posts is not sustainable, and Flick knows it. His immediate goal: to make decisions that define the competitive model from day one.

Meeting with his coaching staff and Deco to define the preseason plan

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A key meeting between Flick, his technical staff and Deco, the sporting director, is scheduled for Friday to review the structural issues of the squad. The meeting will serve to define the roadmap for the month of July, which officially begins on Sunday the 13th with medical tests for the group.

In parallel, the options in the market will be discussed: the departure of players without space, such as Iñaki Peña and Pablo Torre, and the possible arrival of offensive reinforcements after the frustrated operation for Nico Williams. In this context, the name of Luis Díaz has reappeared strongly as a possible priority target.

Ter Stegen, facing an unprecedented crossroads in his Barça career

The big question mark revolves around Ter Stegen, an undisputed starter for a decade, and today in an unusual situation. Flick considers Joan García as his main bet, with Szczesny as a guaranteed replacement. This would leave the German international without a natural place, whose will has been clear: to fulfill his contract until 2028 and fight for the starting position.

Although the sports management does not rule out his departure, Ter Stegen is not considering a farewell. His environment has been blunt in all conversations: he wants to continue, compete and regain his place. The goalkeeper's position could strain the sports planning and force the club to look for a agreed or even painful solution.

Iñaki Peña will assume his departure if there are no opportunities

The case of Iñaki Peña is much easier to manage. The Alicante goalkeeper, aware of his secondary role, has already conveyed that he is willing to leave if he is not in Flick's plans. His departure would free up a place and lighten the "bottleneck" in the goal.

Therefore, it is expected that the German coach, during these first days of work, will meet individually with those involved to communicate his decisions and move forward firmly in the definitive configuration of the squad.

Other urgent decisions: the forward line, Pablo Torre and new faces

In addition to the drama under the posts, Hansi Flick will have to decide on other fundamental aspects in the coming days. With the arrival of Roony Bardghji to do the preseason with the first team and the more than likely departure of Pablo Torre to Mallorca, the coach wants to be clear about who he will count on in his offensive scheme.

Flick arrives and the countdown begins to return to work at Barça

The forward line continues to be an area with an urgent need for reinforcement. The failed incorporation of Nico Williams has left the club without a profile of overflow on the left wing, and the alternative of Luis Díaz (Liverpool) is gaining weight. Flick wants to understand firsthand the state of the negotiations and actively participate in market decisions.

A preseason with proper names and structural decisions

This Sunday, July 13, is scheduled for the official return of the team to training, although some players have already anticipated their return. This is the case of Joan García, who wanted to join earlier to adapt, or Ronald Araújo, whose clause reduced to 60 million euros places him in the center of the market.

Flick is clear that the preseason cannot be limited to physically preparing the group. It must serve to structure the squad, resolve contractual unknowns and define a game model from the first minute. And it all starts in the goal.

SUMMARY: Hansi Flick's early landing marks the beginning of a decisive stage for FC Barcelona. The German coach faces complex decisions that will affect the heart of the dressing room, with the goal as the first major battle. The preseason promises to be the laboratory of the great transformations that the club needs.

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