Barcelona have secured the services of Wojciech Szczesny as a free agent after the goalkeeper reversed his decision to retire, which he made five weeks ago. This move came as a relief to the team, who had recently lost Marc-André ter Stegen to a long-term injury. Ter Stegen underwent surgery for a ruptured patella tendon in his right knee last month and is expected to be sidelined for the remainder of the season.
Iñaki Peña, aged 25, was expected to step in for Ter Stegen, but Barça decided to bolster their squad by signing Szczesny, who had announced his retirement after ending his contract with Juventus. When Szczesny initially retired, he shared a heartfelt message on Instagram: “Today, although my body still feels ready for challenges, my heart is not there anymore. I feel that right now it is time to give all of my attention to my family.”
The 34-year-old former Poland international, who had one year remaining on his deal with Juventus, has joined Barcelona until 30 June. During his time at Juventus, Szczesny made over 250 appearances and won the league and domestic cup three times each. However, he lost his starting position to the summer signing Michele Di Gregorio. Szczesny’s career also includes stints at Arsenal, Brentford, and Roma.
Barcelona currently lead La Liga and their next match is against Alavés on Sunday.
