Wojciech Szczesny Joins Barcelona After Retirement

Wojciech Szczesny the former Arsenal goalkeeper has signed with Barcelona until the end of the season just over a month after announcing his retirement. The 34-year-old Szczesny retired on August 27 following the termination of his contract with Juventus. Barcelona’s need for a replacement arose when first-choice goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen suffered a serious knee injury during their 5-1 victory over Villarreal last month.

La Liga regulations allow clubs to sign free agents outside the transfer window to cover for players facing long-term injuries of more than four months. Szczesny began his professional career at Arsenal where he made 181 appearances after joining the club as a 16-year-old. His career has included stints at Brentford, Roma and Juventus. He joined Juventus in 2017 and made 252 appearances over seven seasons, winning three Serie A titles and three Coppa Italia trophies.

The Warsaw-born keeper also had an impressive international career, earning 84 caps for Poland and competing in four European Championships and two World Cups. When he announced his retirement, Szczesny expressed that although his body still felt capable, his heart was no longer in it, stating, “I feel that right now it is time to give all of my attention to my family.”

Wojciech Szczesny could potentially make his debut for Barcelona against Alaves in La Liga on Sunday. Despite a 4-2 defeat to Osasuna on Saturday, Barcelona remains at the top of the table having secured seven victories from eight games. On Tuesday, they continued their strong form with a 5-0 win over Young Boys in the Champions League.