Barcelona are hoping to be back within their salary limit this summer, and thus able to spend more freely, but as things stand, Director of Football Deco will be working within a tight budget again. He could look to save some money on one of their veteran players.
Amid reports that Barcelona may offer Robert Lewandowski a fresh deal on reduced terms, Deco is reportedly considering moving on from one of his closest teammates. According to Sport, Barcelona may look to move goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny back into retirement this summer. Szczesny is currently the number two, after coming out of retirement 18 months ago to fill in for Marc-Andre ter Stegen, following an injury to the German shot-stopper.
Last summer, Barcelona agreed a two-year extension to Szczesny’s deal, retaining him as a back-up to Joan Garcia this time round. The Polish goalkeeper was required for nine games earlier in the campaign due to a meniscus injury to Garcia. The extension included a clause that allows Barcelona to unilaterally rescind his deal in 2026. The 35-year-old earns around €2m per season, but given the good relations between Szczesny and the club, they would likely reach a mutual agreement if Barcelona did decide to move on.
Ig Gavi: "Enjoying the process with my brother Pedri. Step by step to come back stronger!"
— barcacentre (@barcacentre) February 4, 2026
Currently both ter Stegen and Inaki Pena out on loan, who could return to back up first-choice Garcia. It seems likely that Pena will seek first-team minutes as he did this summer again, but ter Stegen appears to be keen to remain at the club. If Barcelona cannot find an exit for ter Stegen and his sizable salary, then they may look to have their club captain as the back-up. Barcelona could also promote Diego Kochen, who is the brightest of their La Masia talents coming through currently.
