Barcelona is close to sealing one of the major transfers this month as the retired goalkeeper, Wojciech Szczęsny is expected to land in Catalonia to complete his transfer to the Spanish giants. Szczęsny, who over the last few years has been a mainstay in goal for Juventus, will be in Barcelona by Sept. 26.
The route to Barcelona and medicals
Szczęsny's arrival to Barcelona follows a critical moment for both the player and for the club as a statement of intent to shore up their squad in important areas. The experienced 34-year-old spent six successful seasons with Juventus, consistently performing at the high level he has set for himself. His arrival in Barcelona has been expected for quite a while now; with Marc-André ter Stegen's injury and the search for a reliable goalkeeper backup, Barça finally found themselves seeking reinforcement.
With his arrival, Szczęsny will undergo the usual medical checks on Sept. 27 to determine his readiness for the new season.
Szczesny's impact on Barcelona
Szczęsny's transfer probably comes at the right time when Barcelona want to capitalize on their recent successes and reinforce their squad for both La Liga and Champions League campaign. His experience at Juventus, where he won numerous Serie A titles and played consistently in Europe's top competitions, adds great value to his game.
He continues to say that in Barca, necessary composure, shot-stopping, and leadership qualities would be critical to the team, more so because heavy fixture congestion with many tests on all fronts, domestic and international, are likely.
Szczęsny's arrival will strengthen the goalkeeping department of Barcelona manifold. He will be trusted to get solid back-up in goal or share periods of prominence depending on form and fitness. Szczęsny's style, suited with playing the ball at his feet, is one that fits Barcelona's tactical philosophy, and he will fit right into Hansi Flick's squad.
The bigger picture and official signing
This transfer is part of Barcelona's broader strategy in securing experienced players in key positions while managing financial constraints. Szczęsny brings much-needed stability in that critical area of the pitch, allowing Barcelona to focus on other aspects of their squad-building efforts.
The Polish goalkeeper will finally be putting pen to paper on Monday, and then the first shots of him in a Blaugrana shirt that the Catalan club's fans will see, is one of Europe's most consistent goalkeepers in a season that might be an adventure of change for the club.
It is expected that Wojciech Szczęsny will be fully fit for the match in Barcelona in October against Sevilla, having completed his medical and integrated himself into the squad. His expected return means he will either compete with Inaki Pena for a spot in the starting line-up or have him provide quality backup, depending on form and tactic needs. With the timing, Szczęsny is going to have enough time to get accustomed to the way of play at Barcelona and be able to integrate well with the other team players such that when called upon, he would be able to deliver.
Szczęsny schedule:
September 26: He’ll arrive in Barcelona
September 27: Medicals
September 30: Contract signing