Barcelona Goalkeeper Forced Out on Loan as Club Battles Financial Crisis and Squad Registration Chaos

The prolonged Iñaki Peña situation at Barcelona has finally reached its conclusion as the Catalan club successfully moved their backup goalkeeper.

Barcelona confirmed they have agreed terms with Peña on a three-year deal extension while he simultaneously joins Elche on a season-long loan arrangement.

Peña's exit became inevitable after Hansi Flick withdrew his confidence in the keeper during the middle of the 2024–25 campaign. Following his promotion to first-choice following Marc-André ter Stegen's knee problem at the season's start, Flick switched to free agent Wojciech Szczęsny as 2025 began.

The goalkeeper's future became more uncertain this summer as the club retained Szczęsny and secured the signing of Joan García. The Spanish shot-stopper featured in Barça's opening two fixtures this season and is considered the long-term successor between the posts.

Having García, Szczęsny and Ter Stegen on the roster made it obvious that Peña had no place in the squad. Despite Ter Stegen being out for a minimum of four months, Peña failed to feature in any of Barcelona's pre-season friendlies.

Renewing Peña's deal before his loan move ensures he cannot depart as a free agent next summer when his existing contract would have ended. This arrangement should also assist Barcelona in their efforts to comply with Financial Fair Play requirements.

Barcelona were reluctant to release Peña until they confirmed Szczęsny's registration in La Liga. With Peña's move to Elche now complete, the Polish goalkeeper is expected to be registered before Barcelona face Rayo Vallecano on Aug. 31.

Barcelona still have business to complete before the transfer deadline. Attention now turns to moving on Oriol Romeu and Héctor Fort, which are crucial for registering Gerard Martín and Roony Bardghji.