Barcelona appear to be on the verge of making a decisive move regarding the future of Inaki Pena, as reported by SPORT.
The club is seriously considering terminating the goalkeeper’s contract to remove his wages from the books, with Valencia and Celta Vigo closely monitoring the situation.
At 26, Pena finds himself at a crossroads. Once regarded as a promising academy product with the potential to become a long-term backup or even successor to Marc-Andreé ter Stegen, his trajectory has been anything but stable.
Despite stepping up impressively during Ter Stegen’s injury spell last season, the arrival of Wojciech Szczesny and the pursuit of Joan Garcia have effectively closed the door on his continuity at the Camp Nou.
Exit is imminent
Barcelona’s interest in Garcia made it clear that Pena is not part of Hansi Flick’s plans. With only one year left on his contract, the club is unwilling to sanction a loan deal, knowing he would leave for free next summer anyway.
As a result, a contract termination, which would require the club to pay part of his remaining wages, is now on the table.
Barcelona are open to terminating Inaki Pena’s contract. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)
Clubs like Valencia and Celta are interested in signing Pena, but are not in a position to take on his current salary.
They are waiting for Barcelona to act first and officially release him before making their move. This scenario suits them, especially if the Blaugrana are willing to cover part of the financial burden to facilitate his exit.
Pena, for his part, is trying to make sense of a chaotic year. From being a backup, to stepping into the starting role during Ter Stegen’s absence, to now being phased out completely, the Spanish shot-stopper has endured a rollercoaster season.
He is aware that his future lies elsewhere, but remains reluctant to give up what he is contractually owed.
Barcelona, though, are growing increasingly impatient and are expected to initiate talks with his agents imminently over contract termination.