Barcelona is planning to sell the 26-year-old goalkeeper this summer as financial motives and a lack of confidence in manager Hansi Flick are forcing the club in this direction.
In reports from Diario Sport, Iñaki Peña may depart even after deputizing satisfactorily for Marc-André ter Stegen’s injury last season.
Peña’s future is now up in the air, with Barcelona willing to pursue alternative exit plans.
Ideally, they would sell him for a fee, but they might also allow him to go on a free transfer if they can retain a percentage of his future transfer rights.
In this way, they would still stand to gain financially if he does well elsewhere.
Numerous clubs are already keeping tabs on the situation, such as Celta Vigo and Real Betis, as well as Turkish champions Galatasaray.
But Peña’s exit appears inevitable with Wojciech Szczęsny set to renew his contract for another year.
The Polish goalkeeper’s contract renewal, as well as ter Stegen’s recovery from injury, leaves little space for Peña in the team.
Contract renewal negotiations for Peña, whose deal is until 2026, have broken down, increasing the likelihood of a departure.
While Barcelona would prefer to sell, they might take a free transfer with a sell-on clause if there are no decent offers made.
In the end, Flick does not regard Peña as a long-term option, and with Szczęsny remaining, the Spaniard’s Barcelona career seems to be reaching its conclusion.
The next few weeks will decide if he goes for a fee or on a free—but his exit now seems only a question of time.
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