La Liga giants Barcelona are reportedly trying to lure Wojciech Szczesny out for retirement after their starting goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen suffered a season-ending knee injury.
According to Catalan media outlet Diario Sport, Barca already reached out to Szczesny and made him their top priority. The player is also interested in returning to action due to a chance to play for such a big club, although he would need to resolve his situation with his former club, Juventus, first.
When Szczesny retired from professional soccer in the summer, he agreed to a clause that would see Juve receive a fee if he were to change his mind and join another club. However, the fee isn’t believed to be high.
Szczesny served as Juventus’ starting goalkeeper for six years, making 252 appearances for the club and registering 103 clean sheets. He also played for Arsenal, Brentford, and AS Roma.
If Barcelona isn’t able to agree to a deal with Szczesny, they are expected to turn to Costa Rica international goalkeeper Keylor Navas. While Navas is a free agent and would likely be an affordable option, the move might not sit well with the club’s fans, considering he played for their bitter rivals Real Madrid.
Barca could also stick with ter Stegen’s backup Inaki Pena. However, while manager Hansi Flick reportedly believes Pena has a bright future, there are doubts about his ability to perform at the top level right now.
