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La Liga club plot raid on Barcelona for 25-year-old breakout star

La Liga club Girona will reportedly look to sign 25-year-old Spanish goalkeeper Inaki Pena from fellow Catalan outfit Barcelona in the 2025 summer transfer window.

According to a report by Spanish outlet Fichajes, Inaki Pena is the subject of interest from Girona. The White and Reds are scouring the market for a goalkeeper, considering Pau Lopez might not complete a permanent move to Estadi Montilivi. So, they want to prise the 25-year-old breakout star from fellow La Liga club Barcelona in the 2025 summer transfer window.

Inaki Pena and his Barcelona journey so far

Inaki Pena has had to bide his time since graduating from Barcelona’s fabled La Masia division. A native of Alicante, the Spaniard spent his formative years in his homeland, starting his youth career with Alicante CF and spending a few years with Villarreal before joining Barcelona in 2012.

The 25-year-old spent several years with Barcelona’s reserve team and embarked on a loan spell with Galatasaray in January 2022. However, Pena finally got his opportunity this season after Marc-Andre ter Stegen picked up a season-ending knee injury several weeks ago.

While the Spanish goalkeeper has been error-prone, he has produced many impressive performances. Pena has turned out 13 times thus far this season while keeping six clean sheets and conceding 12 goals. Meanwhile, the shot-stopper’s progress has not gone unnoticed, capturing the attention of several well-known clubs across Europe.

What next?

Recent reports have linked Inaki Pena with European bigwigs like Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain. However, a move across La Liga might be on the cards, with Girona keen on signing the academy graduate from Barcelona in the 2025 summer transfer window.

Girona’s interest in Inaki Pena is understandable. The Catalan outfit might dip into the market for a goalkeeper, considering Pau Lopez has yet to make an appearance since arriving on loan from Marseille in the summer transfer window. So, the Barcelona goalkeeper has emerged as a viable target, especially considering the Spaniard will enter the final year of his contract next summer.

While Barcelona decided not to cash in on Pena this past summer, that stance might change in the 2025 summer transfer window, considering his contract situation. It will be interesting to see if Barcelona’s 25-year-old breakout star moves across the Spanish top flight to join Girona.

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