Ter Stegen suffered a significant knee injury during Barcelona’s 5-1 victory over Villarreal, and reports suggest he could be sidelined for up to eight months after undergoing surgery.
In the interim, Inaki Pena started in goal for Barca’s 1-0 win over Getafe, but the club quickly began searching for a more experienced replacement. They swiftly turned their attention to Wojciech Szczesny, who expressed a willingness to come out of retirement following his decision to step away from the game this past summer.
Szczesny, already in Marbella for his medical, explained his decision to join Barcelona, telling SPORT: “I have a lot of respect for Barca’s history; it is one of the best clubs in the world. I understand the difficult situation they are in with Marc-Andre ter Stegen’s injury, and I think it would be disrespectful of me not to consider this option.”
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After Wednesday’s match, Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick acknowledged the need for an experienced goalkeeper but refrained from confirming any specific transfer plans.
“I’m only talking about the players I have, and Inaki is our goalkeeper,” Flick said. “I’m happy today. We have three more points. Inaki is 25 years old, and the rest are very young. If something happens, we need a goalkeeper with experience. Deco and I have discussed and reflected on it. We’re working on it.”