Confirmed, Iñaki Peña says goodbye to Barça by playing: Hansi Flick chooses new goalkeeper

San Mamés hosts the last match of the season for FC Barcelona and Lewandowski has already scored two goals in the first half. After securing the league title a couple of matchdays ago, Hansi Flick's team has arrived at Athletic Club's stronghold eager to close the season with another victory. To achieve it, the German coach has shown his intentions by presenting a starting eleven full of regular figures; there has only been one notable surprise: Iñaki Peña in goal.

Iñaki Peña says goodbye as a starter

The starting position of the Alicante goalkeeper has drawn attention, as this season hasn't been easy for him. He began the season as the undisputed substitute for Ter Stegen, but the serious injury of the German allowed him to have prominence for several weeks. After that, Iñaki Peña assumed the role of Barça's goalkeeper with the hope of consolidating himself in the starting team, although it was just a mirage.

Hansi Flick made an unexpected decision: faced with the doubts caused by the young goalkeeper, he decided to turn to the market and sign the experienced Wojciech Szczęsny. The Pole arrived and quickly assumed the starting position, displacing Iñaki Peña back to the bench. Since then, the opportunities for the Alicante player have been minimal.

In this situation, Iñaki Peña's departure from Barça is inevitable. Club and player have already agreed on his departure in search of minutes and opportunities. His most likely destination seems to be Galatasaray, a club where he already played on loan and left a good impression, or Celta de Vigo, which is urgently looking to strengthen the goalkeeping position.

Barça's new goalkeeper is already decided

Meanwhile, Barça is already thinking about his replacement. Hansi Flick has made it clear to Deco that he wants to have another quality goalkeeper to compete with Ter Stegen. The chosen one seems to be Joan García, a young promise from RCD Espanyol.

His release clause of €25 million is seen as a great opportunity in the current market. Joan García stands out for his agility, good footwork, and reflexes under the posts, making him a bet for the present and future for FC Barcelona. It has already been leaked that the Catalan club could loan Joan García to Valencia for a year to finish developing before landing definitively at Camp Nou.

Now it remains to be seen if Barça manages to close the signing of Joan García this summer. Everything points to negotiations advancing in the coming weeks. Meanwhile, Iñaki Peña has been able to say goodbye on the field, playing his last minutes as Barça's goalkeeper.