Former Arsenal and Juventus shot-stopper Wojciech Szczęsny has decided to step out of retirement to join Fc Barcelona after the Blaugranas lost their number one goalkeeper Ter Stegen to anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury on Sunday against Villarreal, per Fabrizio Romano.
The German goalkeeper, Ter Stegen, is expected to miss a chunk of Barcelona’s games this term and could possibly be out until the end of the 2024-25 season.
Ter Stegen went down after a corner-kick in Sunday’s 5-1 win against Villarreal, with the goalkeeper clutching his knee after claiming the corner-kick.
The scene, which immediately demanded Barcelona players to call for the medical team, has come at a crucial time for the club who are enjoying a perfect start to the season, as they are yet to drop points after six games.
Szczęsny and former Real Madrid goalkeeper Keylor Navas were heavily linked with the vacant role, with the former coming out of retirement while the latter was willing to take a significant pay cut to join the club.
Despite ongoing rumors about Barça being open to allow back up goalkeeper Iñaki Peña to stay as their first choice goalkeeper, the speculations have not been confirmed by manager Hansi Flick.
Peña came on for Barca after Ter Stegen went off and featured prominently last term, but is expected to be challenged by Szczęsny.
Wojciech Szczęsny featured 252 times for Juventus, keeping 103 cleansheets while winning three Serie A titles, three Coppa Italia titles and two Supercoppa Italiana trophies.
The 34-year-old is expected to be fundamental for Hansi Flick’s high-flying side, with his experience and winning mentality an important asset.
The goalkeeper, who retired on August 27 after terminating his contract with his last club, Juventus, also featured at the 2022 World Cup for Poland.
Barcelona face Getafe in their seventh game of the season at the Estadio Olimpic Lluis Companys tonight.
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Story By Andrews Sefa Bamfo|univers.ug.edu.gh
