Galatasaray is poised to make a bold €8-10m bid for a Barcelona star, as the Catalan club looks to offload surplus talent.
As Barcelona gears up for the new La Liga season, the club is navigating a complex transfer window to balance its squad and finances.
With Inigo Martinez’s departure and Marc-Andre Ter Stegen’s decision to allow de-registration, Barcelona has freed up salary space to register key players.
However, further exits are necessary, and one goalkeeper, deemed surplus to requirements by manager Hansi Flick, is attracting significant interest from abroad.
Reports indicate that Galatasaray is preparing a substantial offer, which could reshape Barcelona’s goalkeeping dynamics before the transfer window closes.
The player in question is Inaki Pena, a 26-year-old goalkeeper who finds himself behind Joan Garcia, Wojciech Szczesny, and Ter Stegen in Flick’s pecking order.
According to Sempre Barca, Galatasaray is set to table an €8-10m bid for Pena, an amount likely to tempt Barcelona, given that his contract has less than 12 months remaining.
The Turkish giants see Pena as a viable alternative to Manchester City’s Ederson and aim to secure him as a contender for their starting goalkeeper role.
Barcelona is keen to retain some control over Pena’s future, with plans to include a buy-back clause and a sell-on percentage in any potential deal.
This strategy reflects their long-term vision, as both Szczesny’s impending re-retirement and Ter Stegen’s expected departure will necessitate a new backup goalkeeper in the coming years.
Pena’s exit would align with Barcelona’s efforts to streamline their squad while maintaining financial flexibility.
With the transfer window nearing its close, Pena’s future remains uncertain, but his departure from Barcelona appears almost certain.
Whether he joins Galatasaray, Como, or another suitor, the young goalkeeper’s next move will be pivotal.
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