Wojciech Szczesny considers shocking return from retirement as Barcelona seek emergency goalkeeper

In a dramatic turn of events, Barcelona have reportedly approached the retired goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny to temporarily fill in the void left by their first-choice shot-stopper, Marc-Andre ter Stegen. Notably, ter Stegen is sidelined with a serious knee injury. The club is scrambling to find a suitable replacement as Ter Stegen could potentially miss the remaining season due to surgery on his ruptured patellar tendon.

The injury to the German international has forced Barcelona to explore multiple options for emergency goalkeeping cover. According to Tomasz Wlodarczyk, the Catalan giants have identified Wojciech Szczesny as a prime candidate for the role. The 34-year-old Polish keeper, who retired earlier this summer after his contract with Juventus, is reportedly willing to come out of retirement to aid Barcelona during this critical phase of the season.

Szczesny’s willingness to step back onto the pitch comes as a surprise, given that he had decided to hang up his gloves just a few months ago. However, Barcelona’s approach appears to have convinced him to consider a return to the professional arena. Should he sign with the club, Szczesny will be tasked with maintaining Barcelona’s title ambitions in the absence of Ter Stegen.

A secret clause that could hold the deal!

Despite Szczesny’s readiness, some complications could hinder the deal. It has been reported that upon his retirement, Szczesny agreed to a “secret” clause with Juventus. This clause requires a financial payment to Juventus should he sign with another top-level club before June 2025, as he still had a year left on his contract when he retired.

The matter of who will bear the penalty, Szczesny or Barcelona, remains unresolved. Even if the financial hurdles are cleared, Barcelona will face another challenge. Having been out of action for several months, Szczesny will need time to regain full-match fitness. In the interim, Barcelona will have to rely on Inaki Pena, with a crucial fixture against Getafe looming on Wednesday.