Barcelona make decision on Wojciech Szczesny future | OneFootball

Wojciech Szczesny had a tough start to life as the starting goalkeeper for Barcelona, but he has started to deliver with his performances in recent weeks. On Wednesday, he reached the peak of his powers with an outstanding display in the 1-0 victory over Benfica in the Champions League, during which he made eight saves on the way to a deserved clean sheet.

Szczesny has signed by Barcelona back in October, following confirmation that Marc-Andre Ter Stegen would be out for the remainder of the season with a serious knee injury that he sustained in the victory at Villarreal. Although the expectation was that he would be the number one goalkeeper once he was up to speed, Inaki Pena kept the gloves until the end of 2024.

It was not until the start of January that Szczesny got his chance to start, and despite shaky moments against the likes of Benfica and Real Madrid, Hansi Flick kept his faith in the Polish goalkeeper – and that faith was rewarded earlier this week as the 34-year-old made up for his previous performance in Lisbon.

Deco and Hansi Flick want Wojciech Szczesny to stay for another season (Photo by FC Barcelona)

Szczesny came out of retirement to sign for Barcelona, and upon his arrival, he signed a deal until the end of the season. His idea would have been to hang up his gloves again in the summer, but there is now a considerable chance that he ends up staying on in Catalonia for at least another 12 months.

That’s because Deco and Hansi Flick want Szczesny to sign a contract extension, and as per Relevo, the club’s intention is to make an offer in the coming weeks. The idea is for him and Marc-Andre Ter Stegen to be the competing goalkeepers in the first team, with the third-choice option being Diego Kochen or Ander Astralaga.

If Szczesny decides to stay, it would mean that Barcelona look to sell Inaki Pena in the summer. However, the La Masia graduate will be afforded the opportunity to stay if the current number one decides to go back into retirement at the end of the season.