Wojciech Szczęsny has officially come out of retirement and signed with Barcelona amid the club's injury crisis.
The two parties reached a one year agreement to keep Szczęsny at the club until June 30, 2025. "The Polish keeper comes to the Club in unusual circumstances but there is no doubt that his CV speaks for itself," Barcelona said in a statement. "During his career, which appeared to have come to an end in the summer, he has played at top clubs such as Arsenal, Roma and Juventus since leaving his home town of Warsaw at the age of 16."
The 34-year-old indeed retired after this summer's Euro 2024, but Szczęsny was first linked with a move to Barcelona on Sept. 24. Just eight days later, here's why the keeper is now a member of Hansi Flick's squad.
Marc-André ter Stegen Suffers Season-Ending Injury
Marc-André ter Stegen ruptured the patella tendon in his right knee against Villarreal on Sept. 22. Flick's starter between the posts was stretchered off the pitch and later underwent a successful surgery. Barcelona confirmed the injury will likely sideline him for the entire season.
With ter Stegen out, Iñaki Peña went from backup to No. 1. Yet the 25-year-old had not started a competitive match for Barcelona in over seven months. At the time of ter Stegen's injury, Peña only had 23 appearances for the club since joining in 2018.
Peña impressed in two of his first three starts this season, keeping a clean sheet in La Liga against Getafe and another against Young Boys in the Champions League. He did concede four goals, though, when Barcelona played Osasuna on Sept. 28, as the Catalans suffered their first domestic defeat under Flick.
Despite his solid performances, Peña is inexperienced. If Barcelona wants to challenge for both the Spanish and European titles, Flick needs a tested keeper between the posts. So, the club turned its attention to the available goalkeepers on the market.
Barcelona Searches for ter Stegen Replacement
Finding a replacement for ter Stegen posed a challenge for Barcelona. Since the La Liga summer transfer window was closed, the club could only sign a free agent.
Claudio Bravo, Keylor Navas and Szczęsny seemed the three likely targets for Barcelona. All three players have impressive achievements, plenty of trophies and experience playing for Europe's biggest clubs.
Of the three, though, Szczęsny is the most in-form option. The keeper made 35 appearances for Juventus last season and started two of Poland's three matches at Euro 2024. Navas, on the other hand, only featured six times for Paris Saint-Germain in its 2023–24 season. Bravo, at age 41, only managed nine appearances for Real Betis.
A deal with Szczęsny seemed imminent. In fact, it only took Barcelona 10 days to finalize Szczęsny's deal and welcome him to Barcelona.
Szczęsny's Career Achievements
Szczęsny joins Barcelona after seven seasons with Juventus. The 34-year-old won three Serie A titles, three Coppa Italia trophies and two Italian Super Cups during his time with the Italian giants.
His trophy cabinet also has silverware from his Arsenal days. Szczęsny won two FA Cups with the Gunners and took home the Premier League Golden Glove in 2013–14.
Joining Barcelona gives Szczęsny the opportunity to possibly add a Champions League, La Liga, Copa del Rey and/or Spanish Super Cup to his long list of achievements.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as This Is Why Barcelona Signed Wojciech Szczesny.
