Barca to revisit position in 2026 transfer market – likely to miss out on target

Barcelona look set to renew the contract of veteran goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny for next season, which in essence will rule out a move for a long-term option at the position this summer. It is an area that Director of Football Deco is examining for next summer though.

Szczesny has largely impressed since coming into the team this year, excepting his first few games, and with both club and player happy, a new contract appears to be in the offing. That will mean that next season Szczesny will compete with club captain Marc-Andre ter Stegen for the number one spot, as he recovers from his knee operation.

The German goalkeeper only signed an extension until 2028 last season, but after a third surgery in four seasons, his longevity is in question. Equally, with Szczesny coming out of retirement this season, and already aged 34, he is not a long-term guarantee either. Sport say that the Polish goalkeeper has allowed Deco to postpone his pursuit of goalkeeper until 2026 though, but that he is keeping tabs on several young options for the position.

Not least Dutch international and Brighton number one Bart Verbruggen, who at 22 years of age, tall, a good shot-stopper and good with his feet, ticks all of the boxes for Deco. They are aware that with a contract until 2028, Verbruggen would not be cheap. Other options such as Lille’s Lucas Chevalier, 23, and Nice’s Marcin Bulka, 25, are also on their shortlist.

Barcelona’s decision to put off their pursuit of a goalkeeper likely means bidding farewell to any hope of signing Joan Garcia. The Espanyol goalkeeper has attracted interest from the Blaugrana, but looks highly likely to move on this summer. Arsenal have been consistently linked with Garcia over the past year, but Atletico Madrid have recently emerged as a contender for his services too.