Wojciech Szczęsny close to renewing with Barcelona
Experienced goalkeeper Wojciech Szczęsny is about to sign a new two-year contract with Barcelona, after contributing to the team’s success last season, where they achieved the domestic treble.
In May, Szczęsny, 35, revealed that Barcelona had offered him a contract extension, but he needed time to evaluate the proposal.
Barcelona recently signed goalkeeper Joan García from Espanyol for 25 million euros, and Marc-André ter Stegen also remains at the club. Despite this, Szczęsny will extend his stay.
Meanwhile, Iñaki Peña, who was previously Ter Stegen’s substitute, is open to a transfer.
Szczęsny came out of retirement to join the club last October and wanted to decide with his family whether they would stay in Barcelona or return to Marbella, where they had been living.
The former Arsenal goalkeeper will now compete with Garcia and Ter Stegen for the starting position at Barcelona, although the club is open to the possibility of letting the latter go.Szczęsny initially joined Barcelona on a short-term contract at the end of last year, after Ter Stegen was injured.
After taking Peña’s place in the team, he played 30 matches under the direction of Hansi Flick, helping Barcelona win LaLiga, the Copa del Rey and the Spanish Super Cup.
During that time, he has become a fan favorite, partly due to his sense of humor and his honesty on various topics, including his smoking habit. However, although he has joked about this on occasion, he has also advised others not to follow his example.
The Polish international began his professional career at Arsenal, going through Brentford and Roma before signing for Juventus in 2017.
After seven years with the Italian giants, he announced his retirement from football in 2024, reversing his decision when Barcelona called him in October.
