Szczęsny's move to Barcelona seems almost certain. The goalkeeper, who announced his retirement a month ago to focus on his family, has agreed to replace Marc Andre ter Stegen in Catalonia. The German goalkeeper suffered a serious knee injury, and Szczęsny is expected to step in as the first-choice keeper. However, many may wonder how this will be possible given Barcelona's ongoing financial difficulties.
This is how Barcelona plans to finalize Szczęsny’s transfer. There's one condition
An article published by "Mundo Deportivo" explains the situation, written by journalist Roger Torelló. He points out that ter Stegen's injury could be a silver lining for Barcelona. The club has been struggling with financial fair play issues for a while, largely due to the delayed renewal of their contract with Nike, which has been a key source of funding for player contracts. As a result, several new players have faced delays in being registered for La Liga. One example is Spanish player Dani Olmo, who was only registered for the current season after the club used 80% of the salary of Andreas Christensen, a Barcelona defender who, like ter Stegen, is sidelined with an injury.
Barcelona plans to "capitalize" on ter Stegen's injury in a similar way. While losing a key player to injury is unfortunate, the club can use this opportunity to offset their financial struggles. Therefore, 80% of ter Stegen’s salary will first go toward registering Dani Olmo for the rest of the season, with the remaining portion used to bring Wojciech Szczęsny into the squad.
However, there is one condition to this solution, as Torelló mentions in "Mundo Deportivo": "Szczęsny would, of course, have to accept a lower salary," the journalist states. So far, reports suggest that Szczęsny’s potential salary at Barcelona could be around €3 million gross for the remainder of the season.
Will Deco and Flick give the green light? Spaniards suggest Szczęsny's transfer is still not certain
"Mundo Deportivo" continues to suggest that the Szczęsny transfer is not yet a done deal and that the final decision has not been made. The article states: "Knowing that if Szczęsny accepts these terms, he could be registered in compliance with financial fair play, the matter has been left in the hands of the sporting directors. It will be Deco and Hansi Flick who will ultimately decide whether to sign him or wait until the January transfer window and opt for a different goalkeeper."
Despite "Mundo Deportivo’s" cautious tone, several sources - including Tomasz Włodarczyk from Meczyki.pl, Toni Juanmarti from Catalonia’s "Sport," and Fabrizio Romano with his signature "Here We Go" - have already confirmed that the deal is practically sealed. Szczęsny is expected to undergo a medical examination and sign a contract with Barcelona on Monday.
His first game for the new team could take place on October 20th against Sevilla, after the international break. It is still unclear whether Szczęsny's return to club football would also mean he’s being considered for the Polish national team by coach Michał Probierz. Probierz has stated to Sport.pl journalist Kacper Sosnowski that he will address the matter at a press conference before the upcoming national team matches this fall. This means we may soon find out whether Szczęsny will also return to the national team.
