Barça’s 2026–27 goalkeeper picture: only one sure thing — Joan García

As Barcelona looks ahead to the 2026–27 season, there’s only one guaranteed name in the goalkeeper group: Joan García, the breakout star of the year. Everything else is a maze of uncertainty — overlapping storylines, contract questions, and tough decisions that sporting director Deco must sort out in the coming months.

Szczęsny’s future still up in the air

The first major question is Wojciech Szczęsny. The 35‑year‑old Polish veteran — who has served as a mentor to Joan García this season — doesn’t have his future secured.

Barça holds a clause allowing them to terminate his deal this June for roughly $2.2 million in compensation. Szczęsny is under contract through 2028 and is highly respected inside the locker room for what he’s contributed on and off the field since arriving as an emergency signing after Marc-André ter Stegen’s injury in late September 2024.

His relationship with the coaching staff is excellent, and both Deco and club president Joan Laporta want to handle any decision with care, given how much the former Juventus keeper has meant to the squad.

Ter Stegen: a complicated case

The more delicate situation involves Ter Stegen, whose physical issues have piled up in recent years. Currently on loan at Girona until June — and with fading hopes of making the World Cup — Deco and head coach Hansi Flick concluded that his decade-long run as Barça’s undisputed No. 1 had come to an end.

He’s under contract until 2028, making the situation even trickier. No offers arrived in the winter window, and clubs are understandably wary given his injury history. Ter Stegen has never been comfortable as a backup, famously issuing an ultimatum in 2016 demanding the starting job in La Liga.

But at 34, and still the team’s first captain (a status he’ll retain even after his Girona loan ends), he may view things differently now.

Last summer’s tensions — when the club briefly stripped him of the captaincy after he self-diagnosed his recovery timeline following back surgery in Bordeaux — eventually cooled. Barça facilitated a graceful, praise-filled exit to Girona. Whether he’d accept a supporting role next season remains an open question.

Álex Remiro emerges as a new option

While Ter Stegen’s future hangs in the balance, another name has entered the conversation: Álex Remiro, Real Sociedad’s Spanish international goalkeeper, under contract until 2027. His representatives have been in touch with Deco.

A move this June won’t be easy. Real Sociedad doesn’t let players go cheaply, and Barça no longer views the goalkeeper position as an urgent priority. Still, Remiro has shown interest, and nothing can be ruled out.

A transfer would make more sense for the 2027–28 season, but the mere fact that Deco is exploring options signals long-term planning.

Diego Kochen: the homegrown wild card

Deco has consistently expressed confidence in Barça’s academy keepers, especially Diego Kochen, the U.S. U‑21 international. Kochen has split time between the first team and Barça Atlètic over the past two seasons, and he remains a legitimate candidate to become the club’s future No. 2.

He’s under contract until 2028, but like many young keepers — including Andorra’s standout this season, Dani Yaakobishvili — he may eventually push for more minutes.

Even Iñaki Peña, on loan at Elche and signed through 2029, is technically an option, though he’s expected to move on barring a major surprise.

One certainty amid the chaos

For Deco, the board, and the coaching staff, the goalkeeper puzzle is full of moving pieces. But one thing is absolutely clear: Joan García is the future of Barça’s goal.

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