Cesc Fabregas confirms Inaki Pena link amid Barcelona exit call

Barcelona are planning more squad sales before the end of the summer transfer window, which closes on September 1.

Goalkeeper could be a major area of change with Inaki Pena, now relegated to fourth choice – in behind Joan Garcia, Wojciech Szczesny and Marc-Andre Ter Stegen – on course to move on.

Ter Stegen will be sidelined for the start of the campaign, but he remains ahead of Pena, following a resolution over his standoff with the club.

After allowing the club to send his medical report to La Liga, which could allow 80% of his salary space to be repurposed to register Garcia and Szczesny as La Liga players, the Germany international has been reinstated as captain.

Pena is out of contract in less than 12 months, and in order to avoid losing him for free, Barcelona want to cash in – which the player himself has accepted. However, he will not leave until later this month, amid uncertainty over if the Catalans can secure enough financial freedom to register Garcia and Szczesny.

Earlier this summer, the 26-year-old was linked with Celta Vigo,, but that interest did not go anywhere, and Serie A side Como are now looking at him as an option for Cesc Fabregas.

Ahead of Barcelona and Como facing off in the Joan Gamper Trophy this weekend at the Estadi Johan Cruyff, Fabregas confirmed the link is accurate, and admitted he is pushing for an agreement.

“I don’t like to talk about the market, but if there’s an opportunity, we’ll see it, we’ll analyse it. I hope any new big players can fit into our dynamic, be competitive in the squad,” as per Mundo Deportivo.

“All great players are welcome at Como, especially those who can understand my ideas well, helping with playing the ball out from defence, being dominant in possession. You need players who feel it.”