Barcelona goalkeeper close to leaving

Spanish club Girona has once again put young Barcelona goalkeeper Iñaki Peña on their radar in the past few hours, amid dissatisfaction with the performance of Argentine goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga, which has sparked much controversy within the Catalan club. According to Spanish press reports, Fernando Solanas, Iñaki Peña's agent, held a meeting on Wednesday morning at Barcelona's Ciutat Esportiva with Deco, the club's sporting director, to discuss the goalkeeper's future, in light of the increasing offers he received during the current summer transfer window. Several clubs have recently expressed interest in signing Peña, most notably Italian club Como, along with some La Liga clubs. Celta Vigo were initially among the candidates to sign him, but withdrew from negotiations in recent days, opening the door for Girona to enter the race to sign the Spanish goalkeeper. Girona's management has become increasingly serious about negotiating with Peña, especially after Argentine goalkeeper Gazzaniga's poor performance against Rayo Vallecano, where he made two serious errors that led to his team conceding two goals, before receiving a straight red card. This situation has brought the goalkeeping position back into the club's discussion, as the club seeks to increase competition for the position and search for a more reliable keeper. Barcelona, ​​for its part, is sticking to its plan of renewing Peña's contract and then loaning him out, allowing him to gain more playing time to help him develop and gain experience. Peña is currently the Catalan club's fourth-choice goalkeeper, making his departure logical for both him and the club. Barcelona believes that loaning the young goalkeeper will also benefit the club financially, as Peña earns an annual salary of nearly four million euros, which constitutes a burden on the club's budget, especially in light of its efforts to sign new signings, such as Polish goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny. The club plans to extend Peña's contract, which expires in the summer of 2026, by deferring a portion of his salary. Interested clubs will bear his full annual salary, while simultaneously easing the burden on Barcelona's wage bill.