Veteran goalkeeper Wojciech Szczęsny is set to sign a new two-year contract with Barcelona imminently after helping the club win a domestic treble last season, a source has confirmed to ESPN.
Szczęsny, 35, revealed in May that Barça had offered him a new deal but said he needed time to consider the proposal.
Barça have since signed goalkeeper Joan García from Espanyol for €25 million ($29.4m), while Marc-André ter Stegen remains at the club as well, but Szczęsny will still extend his stay.
Iñaki Peña, meanwhile, who was previously Ter Stegen’s deputy, is open to a transfer, sources say.
Szczęsny came out of retirement to join the club last October and wanted to decide with his family whether they would remain in Barcelona or return to Marbella, in the south of Spain, where they had been living since he hung up his gloves.
The former Arsenal goalkeeper will now compete with García and Ter Stegen for the No.1 berth at Barça, although sources have told ESPN the club remain open to letting the latter leave.
Szczęsny initially joined Barça on a short-term deal at the end of last year after Ter Stegen was injured in a LaLiga game against Villarreal.
After taking No.2 stopper Peña’s place in the team, he went on to make 30 appearances under Hansi Flick, helping Barça win LaLiga, the Copa del Rey and the Spanish Supercopa.
During that time, he has become a fans’ favourite, in part due to his sense of humour and his honesty about most issues, including the fact he is a smoker. However, while he has made light of smoking at times, he also told ESPN that he would urge others not to follow his lead.
The former Poland international started his professional career at Arsenal, going on to have loan spells with Brentford and Roma before signing for Juventus in 2017.
After seven years with the Italian giants, he announced his retirement from football in 2024, reversing his decision when Barça called last October.
