Iñaki Peña and Galatasaray's interest: a change of direction at Barça?

FC Barcelona and Iñaki Peña could part ways next summer. The 26-year-old goalkeeper has resigned himself to staying on the bench for the rest of the season, and in Turkey, Galatasaray is very interested in his transfer for the 2025/26 season. According to 'Mundo Deportivo', the Ottoman team has already decided to replace Fernando Muslera, who is set to leave on a free transfer in July after 14 years at the club.

The Alicante native spent six months at Galatasaray in 2022. Muslera's injury forced the Istanbul team to seek a goalkeeper in the winter, and the then-reserve player from Barcelona was chosen to replace the Uruguayan. In total, Iñaki played 8 matches that season in Turkey, conceding 11 goals, keeping only one clean sheet, and receiving one yellow card. That summer, he returned to Barça, establishing himself as Ter Stegen's backup.

Barça will put Iñaki Peña up for sale if the goalkeeper rules out renewing

In this sense, Okan Buruk's team could be a good destination for the '13' culé, as long as Barcelona decides to put him on the market. The management's idea is to resolve the renewals of all players with contracts nearing expiration (2025-2026), and Peña is on that list. However, the goalkeeper prefers to wait until summer to make a decision, as he understands that the nearly year and a half left on his contract gives him the necessary peace of mind to wait for other offers.

Initially, Wojciech Szczesny's renewal suggests the Alicante native's departure, as Ter Stegen is expected to regain his starting position in the summer, and the Polish goalkeeper has done enough to earn at least one more year on his contract. If he leaves this summer, Iñaki Peña could bring around 10 million to the culé coffers, a modest amount but acceptable for a goalkeeper who, at 26, needs to settle definitively in a team where he can have continuity.

The academy player has played a total of 44 matches with the first team at Barcelona, conceding 64 goals and keeping a total of 10 clean sheets. In 2025, Szczesny is close to matching his record of matches without conceding, but in only 14 appearances where Barça has not known defeat. The Warsaw native has become a talisman for the culés, and all signs point to the fact that, inevitably, the Alicante native will have to change his surroundings in August.