The other unknowns to be resolved in Barça's goal

BarcelonaOne of Deco's open files is the goalkeeper's position. Barça moved quickly and brought in Joan Garcia when Szczesny's stay was practically agreed upon. The decision caught Ter Stegen on vacation, and upon his return, he has been training separately from the group. due to back problems and is considering surgery, Which will leave him out of action in the first months of the season and allow them to take advantage of his injury to register Joan Garcia. Currently, the first team has four goalkeepers. The other is Iñaki Peña, who is also tipped to leave Barcelona.

Deciding whether Hansi Flick will have two or three options in goal will have a domino effect on La Masia. In recent seasons, the third goalkeeper to make the squad has been one of Barça Atlètic's players. Lately, it's been Ander Astralaga or Diego Kochen. And, although training and daily life with the first team are a learning curve for them, when the two teams' matches overlap, their continuity and rhythm aren't ideal. "They need to play. It's good that they're moving up, but in a regular manner, so they get minutes. You get experience from playing," club sources comment.

Barça is currently waiting to register its two existing goalkeepers: Joan and Szczesny. While the club is showing Ter Stegen the door to leave, Iñaki Peña changed representation agencies a few months ago, when Szczesny completed his contract. overtaking, with the idea of finding a destination he liked. A year ago, he would have only considered leaving if he'd found a good offer from the First Division, because he considers his contract terms to be satisfactory. Now the situation has changed, and he's working with Arturo Canales, a regular agent for many Barça players.

Two departures with Barça's reserve team

One step below, at Barça Atlètic, there have been moves. The reserve team's relegation from the Second Division has led to some departures. And there could be more, especially players who played an important role last season. Regarding the goalkeeper, Ander Astralaga has gone on loan to Granada in the Second Division. At 21, the Andalusian club has told him he will be competing for the starting spot with Luca Zidane. All parties considered it was time to open a new chapter. At La Masia, he is described as a complete goalkeeper with a great understanding of the game.

Astralaga's departure was expected even if Barça Atlètic had secured survival. Behind the scenes, there was a clash between Diego Kochen and Aaron Yaakobishvili. The Hungarian goalkeeper's future also seemed far from Barcelona when, at the end of the year, the club "punished" him for not renewing his contract. Finally, the story turned around: he changed agency (Pini Zahavi), a contract extension was agreed upon (signed until 2028), and his end of the season has been unbeatable. Yako He was key in achieving the treble, especially the Youth League. In addition, in a Cup tie against Damm he scored the decisive penalty. panenka, after having arrested some.

Diego Kochen, Juliano Belletti's strong man

Yako's move has opened up the dilemma faced by other teammates: whether it's worth continuing to compete in the Second Division or whether a loan move could provide a boost. Like Ander, Yako is going on loan with the aim of earning a starting spot. He's doing so with Gerard Piqué's Andorra. Thus, Kochen remains the key man in goal for Barça Atlètic. Although he wasn't supposed to do preseason training with the first team and was scheduled to be called up on Monday under Juliano Belletti, Ter Stegen's injury could open the door for him to go on the tour under Flick. His final decision will be announced in the coming days.

He spent the summer in Miami, where he was born and has been training. Kochen is especially motivated by the possibility of playing in the U-20 World Cup being organized by Chile between mid-September and October, and he will also play for the Spanish national team. At La Masia, he has always been considered a goalkeeper with first-team potential. In principle, he'll have competition from Eder Aller.

Growing up below is a goalkeeper they describe as special, Iker Rodríguez. "He's the most complete player we've seen in recent years, a great commitment from the club," they explain at Barça. "He's very good with his hands and has an incredible shot," they add. This year he'll move up to the U19s and shares the same objective as his teammates: "He must play to continue improving." The development of all the youth players depends, in part, on how the first-team puzzle unfolds.