In Marc-Andre ter Stegen, Barcelona have a top goalkeeper in place while they have Inaki Pena as a reliable backup for their first-choice shot-stopper.
However, as per reports today, there is a debate over the continuity of Pena after his performances between the sticks during the injury-enforced absence of Ter Stegen.
Even though the La Masia graduate started off well, things went off the rails and Barça began leaking a lot of goals, leading to the discussion about the 24-year-old’s future and whether the club must look for a more experienced backup.
Luis Maximiano on the agenda
Amidst this, Mundo Deportivo is reporting that Barcelona are keeping tabs on UD Almeria goalkeeper Luis Maximiano as a candidate for the goalkeeping spot for the summer.
The 25-year-old is currently on loan at Almeria from Lazio in Italy, with the La Liga outfit retaining an obligation to buy provided certain conditions are met.
However, with Almeria staring at relegation, Maximiano’s continuity looks unlikely while he is not counted back at Lazio as well, meaning a new destination awaits him in the summer.
And Barcelona are understood to be monitoring the Portuguese custodian, having had him on their radars for some time now, with the goalkeeper making an impression on the scouts.
For now, there is nothing concrete and everything depends on how the debate over Pena’s continuity ends.
If Barcelona decide to part ways with the academy graduate, they could look to go after Maximiano, whose contract at Lazio runs until the summer of 2027.
Alternatively, from within the club, the likes of Diego Kochen and Ander Astralaga could also be options while free agent David de Gea is also being considered.
