Iñaki Peña has performed much better this season than last season, and has grown during the course of the term. In the past, I said it was time to move on from him and pursue a new, young goalkeeper who could be the team’s #1.
With the signing of Wojciech Szczęsny, some of us expected that Peña would become the backup after Marc-André ter Stegen’s injury. But that has not been the case.
Peña is preferred despite being probably not as good a shot-stopper as “Tek,” because he is better with the ball at his feet and at sweeping up play. That’s why Hansi Flick has stuck by him.
I’m still not convinced that Peña is the long-term starter for Barcelona, but I will humbly admit that I may have underestimated him. He’s improved from last season, where he was shaky, and as of today, he is doing pretty well. He is not an ideal #1 goalkeeper for Barcelona, either, but he is only 25 and goalkeepers usually bloom later than most other players.
In fact, at the moment I think I would advocate for letting Ter Stegen’s contract expire and keeping Peña. (Tek will surely retire after this season.)
Ter Stegen is paid handsomely for a goalkeeper and at the moment I think Peña can replace him with no drop-off. For a team looking to cut costs, that may be a place to start. The trouble with that line of thinking, though, is the German’s contract runs until 2028. If you can’t find a buyer for him, you are likely stuck with him, at least as a backup.
If you can indeed find a buyer for him, I still think some healthy competition for Peña would be good. An up-and-comer on a relatively cheap or free transfer would be my choice, and then see which of the two has what it takes to continue growing and become the #1 permanently.
As for Peña, I will repeat that my previous assessment was too harsh, and I’ll gladly say I’m wrong when people beat my expectations.