Barcelona goalkeeper rules out summer exit, wants to gain Flick’s confidence in preseason – report

According to a report from Mundo Deportivo, goalkeeper Inaki Pena, who hasn’t been playing much for Barcelona lately, has decided to stay put for now, as he hopes to gain the confidence of Hansi Flick in the upcoming season.

At present, the main talk within the club revolves around who might leave this summer, and Pena’s name has come up frequently in these discussions.

There were talks earlier about Pena possibly leaving this summer, especially since Marc-Andre Ter Stegen is rightly expected to be the club’s first-choice keeper next season. 

In fact, in May, there was news that Barcelona might bring in another goalkeeper, considering Pena could be on the move. 

But later, the Catalan team decided against this because Pena feels happy at Barcelona and both sides would only reconsider if a very good offer came along.

Crucial meeting with Deco

Inaki Pena does not want to leave Barcelona. (Photo by Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty Images)

Just before the season ended for Barça, and with Xavi, who was still the coach, agents for Pena met with Deco. 

The message from their meeting was that Pena would stay with the team unless there was an offer that everyone agreed was too good to refuse. However, no such offer ever came up.

The 25-year-old has a contract for two more seasons, until 2026 and he is not thinking about leaving Barcelona this summer, even though Ter Stegen is clearly the first-choice goalkeeper.

Chance to impress Flick 

His mindset has not changed, and he knows he will start preseason as the main goalkeeper since Ter Stegen will join later after his holiday.

This is because Germany have already secured a spot in the Euro Cup round of 16, which ends on July 14. If Ter Stegen does not return by then, Pena could earn Flick’s trust during Barcelona’s American tour opener against Manchester City in Orlando on July 30.

In summary, despite speculation, Pena is staying at Barcelona for now as he is focused on proving himself to the new coach and is not considering a move unless something truly compelling comes up.