Barcelona were plunged into concern when Marc-Andre ter Stegen went down with a knee injury against Villarreal last month, which could be season-ending for the German. The Catalan party has clearly appointed part of this concern itself, bringing Wojciech Szczesny in a free to compete with Overlap Pena. The latter has since been convinced.
Making great saves against Harry Kane and Kylian Mbappe last week to keep up Barcelona to go back, Pena's status has changed in recent weeks. The manager Hansi Flick stayed with him despite the arrival of Szczesny, and MD they say that they value the personality that Pena shows. His teammates are also happy to see him do well.
Pedri was named the best player of the U23 League for the month of October. Congratulations! @LaLiga ⭐️
— Barcacentre (@barcacentre) October 29, 2024
His current deal runs through 2026, meaning he will enter the final year of his deal next summer. The Sports Directorate Deco has not yet contacted his agents, but it is believed that the two parties are willing to discuss a renewal of the contract, and discussions are expected in the coming months. As things stand, Pena has no intention of leaving, and currently has a release clause of 400 million euros.
At the very least, it makes sense to extend Pena's contract for at least one or two years from Barcelona's perspective, preventing them from potentially having to consider selling him on the cheap. It also seems unlikely that he will be trusted as Ter Stegen's long-term replacement at this point, but after last season's disappointment, he won't get a better chance to prove himself.
Image via David Ramos/Getty Images
