Report: 25-year-old Barcelona ace will decide his future based on importance

At a time when La Masia is providing solutions to all the questions asked of Barcelona, backing Inaki Pena was undoubtedly the club’s first response to losing Marc-Andre Ter Stegen.

The German goalkeeper, who is out for the season, has promptly been replaced by the Spaniard whose numbers to this point are not bad.

While he has overseen clean sheets, the fact remains that he has looked relatively fragile between the sticks and that his numbers are primarily down to the extraordinary defence.

Needless to say, his situation is uncertain especially with Wojciech Szczesny working hard to return to complete match-fitness and fight for a spot.

Future unclear

While Hansi Flick will continue to back Pena after the international break, it is not ruled out that Szczesny takes his place soon especially if the Pole can prove his worth in training.

Inaki Pena will evaluate his future. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)

The goalkeeper’s current contract with Barcelona runs until 2026, and his continuity beyond that thus will be based on how the rest of the season unfolds for him as revealed by Mundo Deportivo.

If he loses the starting spot to the Polish goalkeeper, it will become clear to Pena that he will never make it big in Catalonia and a departure can thus not be ruled out. He will decide what to do during his final season based on the aforementioned criteria.

Should he see regular minutes, Pena may renew his deal for longer and stay at the club of his dreams. If he is sidelined, however, he may opt to leave next summer or run down his contract to leave as a free agent a year later.

Hence, it is important for Barcelona to ensure that the youngster does not leave on a free transfer and that they get something from his departure if it materialises.