Wojciech Szczesny Open To Coming Out Of Retirement To Join Barcelona

Polish goalkeeper, Wojciech Szczesny, is ready to come out of retirement to help Barcelona whose first-choice Marc-Andre ter Stegen is likely to be out injured for the rest of the season.

Germany international, Ter Stegen underwent surgery after tearing the patellar tendon in his right knee during a 5-1 victory against Villarreal over the weekend.

Szczesny, according to media reports, is expected to arrive in Barcelona soon to have a medical before signing a short-term deal.

“I have a lot of respect for Barca’s history, it is one of the best clubs in the world,” Szczesny told Spanish news outlet Sport on Thursday.

“I understand the difficult situation that has arisen for them after Marc-Andre Ter Stegen’s injury and I think it would be disrespectful of me not to consider this option.”

Barca manager Hansi Flick stated on Wednesday that their 25-year-old reserve goalkeeper, Inaki Pena, could be a potential replacement for Ter Stegen; however, he emphasized the need for additional experience as well.

“Inaki is 25, but the other goalkeepers are very young. We need more experience and that’s why we’re talking about it. We’ve talked about it and discussed it, and we’ll have to decide,” Flick told reporters after Barca’s 1-0 win over Getafe.

Szczesny, who joined Juventus in 2017, announced his retirement in August after ending his contract with the Serie A club, where he had one year remaining on his deal.

Szczesny retired with over 250 caps for Poland after helping Juve win three league titles and three Italian cups.

Barcelona sits four points clear at the top of La Liga, boasting a perfect record of 21 points from seven games, and will next face Osasuna on Saturday.