Former Juventus goalkeeper Wojciech Szczęsny will reportedly be coming out of retirement to sign with Barcelona. The Catalan side require a goalkeeper after the injury to starter Marc-André ter Stegen.
Barcelona announced that ter Stegen successfully underwent surgery on Monday. He had completely ruptured the patella tendon in his right knee during last Sunday’s 5-1 LaLiga victory against Villarreal.
ESPN reported on Monday, citing sources, that the veteran goalkeeper will be sidelined for months and is unlikely to play again this season.
Nonetheless, it appears the Spanish side have their replacement as transfer expert Fabrizio Romano reported on Wednesday that Szczęsny will come out of retirement to sign for Barça and replace ter Stegen on a one-year contract.
🚨🔵🔴 Wojciech Szczesny to Barcelona, here we go! Deal in place for Polish goalkeeper to join as free agent.
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) September 25, 2024
Szczesny will come out of retirement to sign for Barça and replace ter Stegen on one year contract.
↪️🇵🇱 Medical tests will take place in Spain in the next days. pic.twitter.com/FClO42e6Qg
Will Juventus be compensated for Wojciech Szczęsny?
Spanish media outlet SPORT reports that Juventus will receive money due to the Polish shot-stopper opting to come out of retirement. According to their reporting, Szczęsny will have to pay Juventus €2 million if he decides to sign with Barcelona.
Moreover, the information reveals that the 34-year-old received a €6 million payout to end his contract and retire this summer.
🚨 Wojciech Szczęsny must pay Juventus €2M if he signs for Barcelona.
— Transfer News Live (@DeadlineDayLive) September 25, 2024
He received a €6M pay-off to terminate his contract and retire this summer.
(Source: @sport) pic.twitter.com/qCpHvFg0h2
Szczęsny retired in August after making 252 appearances for Juventus during his eight-year career with the Turin-based club. The veteran also recorded 103 clean sheets for the Serie A giants.
"His numbers cannot be argued with - they’re incredible, but they never outshone his character," the club said when announcing the player's retirement. "From his first day in Turin, he was able to win everybody over, and from day one his charisma, kindness and personality saw him win the hearts of Juventini all around the world."
Nonetheless, it appears the player is back, and retirement life wasn't for him.
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