Wojciech Szczesny is set to make a surprising return to professional football, just weeks after his unexpected departure from Juventus and announcement of retirement. The Polish goalkeeper is poised to begin an exciting new chapter in his career with Barcelona, who have been seeking an experienced replacement for the injured Marc-André ter Stegen.
Calciomercato report that Barcelona’s decision to pursue Szczesny comes in the wake of ter Stegen’s season-ending knee injury, which has left the club in need of a seasoned international goalkeeper to complement their second-choice keeper, Inaki Pena. The allure of playing for a prestigious club like Barcelona was enough to persuade Szczesny to reconsider his retirement plans and accept their offer.
Today, the 34-year-old goalkeeper is expected to arrive in Barcelona for his medical examination, after which he will sign a contract until June 30, 2025. Reports suggest that Szczesny’s salary at Barcelona will be lower than what he earned at Juventus, which was approximately 6.5 million euros net per year.
Interestingly, Szczesny could potentially make his debut for Barcelona as early as October 1st in their Champions League match against Young Boys. This rapid integration is possible due to a specific UEFA regulation that allows clubs to register a new goalkeeper outside of transfer windows in cases of long-term injuries to registered keepers.
Szczesny’s last competitive match was on June 21 when he played for Poland in their 3-1 defeat to Austria in the European Championship group stage. His final appearance for Juventus dates back to May 20, in a 2-2 away draw against Bologna.
The signing of Szczesny will also have financial implications for Juventus. The Italian club had agreed to a 4 million euro severance package upon the early termination of his contract. However, with this new development, Juventus will save the 2 million euros net they were due to pay next year as part of that agreement.
