Barcelona goalkeeping prospect Inaki Pena has reportedly emerged as a summer transfer target for La Liga clubs Real Betis and Celta Vigo.
According to Relevo, Celta Vigo and Real Betis have lodged enquiries with Barcelona to assess the possibility of signing goalkeeper Inaki Pena, who is considering his future at Camp Nou.
The 23-year-old Pena has been part of Barcelona’s youth setup since 2012, when he arrived from the Villarreal youth academy. Having risen through the ranks at the club, he has made 63 appearances for the B team, in which he managed to keep 22 clean sheets. He has been on the bench for the first team on several occasions but is yet to make his debut.
Pena spent the second half of the 2021/22 campaign on loan at Galatasaray to gain some experience at the highest level of football. And the Spaniard made a good impression in Turkey even though he played just eight matches. Two of those games came against Barcelona in the UEFA Europa League, and he even kept a shut-out at Camp Nou.
Pena’s performances impressed Xavi Hernandez, who is prepared to hand him a role in the first-team squad next season. Indeed, Pena is seen as the second-choice custodian behind Marc-Andre ter Stegen, but things might not be as straightforward as they seem at the moment as Barcelona are facing difficulties in getting rid of Neto.
The Brazilian shot-stopper, who is the current No. 2 at Barcelona, has been heavily linked with an exit. However, Neto is now refusing to leave the club as he wishes to see out his contract which expires in 2023. It has now led to speculations over the future of Pena, who has concerns about his role in the team.
Relevo claims that the 23-year-old academy graduate will stay at Barcelona if he is made the No. 2 by Xavi. If not, the goalkeeper will consider leaving the club this summer, and clubs are lining up to sign him, with Celta Vigo and Real Betis already showing an interest. Indeed, both La Liga clubs have already made enquiries for the Spanish ace as they look to add him to their roster in the summer.
It presents Barcelona with a tricky situation. Pena’s contract expires in 2023 and the Blaugrana will have to decide his future soon. One option would be to extend his contract and loan him out again, while the second option would be to sanction a permanent transfer to avoid losing Pena for free next year.
