FC Barcelona veteran goalkeeper has ended speculation about his future by committing to remain with the club.
FC Barcelona’s goalkeeping narrative has been a major subplot this season, with Wojciech Szczesny’s September signing, as an emergency option of sorts, proving very intriguing.
The 35-year-old Polish goalkeeper was brought out of retirement to act as a stop-gap option for Inaki Penya, who was promoted from the B team to be the starter after ter Stegen suffered a serious knee injury, and quickly showed he could perform adequately under Hansi Flick.
Szczesny’s performances helped lead Barcelona to a domestic treble and clean sheets in 13 of his 29 matches played, while the La Liga title had almost been wrapped up by the time he left the club.
The leadership he displayed off the field and his maturity helped stabilize a team that was transforming when he arrived, but with his short-term contract winding down, fans and the club speculated on whether Szczesny would either extend his stay or go back to retirement.
In a stunning development, Szczesny has now formally accepted FC Barcelona’s offer to renew his contract for two more years, which means he will stay at Camp Nou.
According to Fabrizio Romano, the veteran keeper talked things over with his family and opted to continue his path forward with the Blaugrana, regardless of the fact that ter Stegen would likely be returning to the roster and Szczesny’s role would be limited or secondary.
This decision, which uses sources as we like to do for this article, was the best thing for everyone involved and calmed one of the club’s biggest uncertainties while showing faith and belief in Flick’s project moving forward.
Szczesny’s decision could have as much of an impact on Barcelona’s transfer plan and may hinder their chances of signing Inaki Pena and other targets like Joan Garcia.
Barcelona’s president, Joan Laporta did voiced optimism that Szczesny would stay with them and that he expressed unhappiness at the club, which was quite evidently conveyed by his celebration of smoking a cigar after the victory.
Want to get the latest Barcelona news direct to your phone? Join our WhatsApp community by clicking here.
