Barcelona suggest Wojciech Szczesny contract decision already made

Barcelona sporting director Deco has admitted goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny will "surely" remain with the club beyond this season.

Szczesny retired at the end of last season when he was revealed by Juventus, but was quickly convinced to pull his gloves back on when Barcelona came calling in search for a replacement for Marc-Andre ter Stegen, who suffered a serious knee injury from which he is yet to return.

The 35-year-old initially began his time in Catalonia as cover for Inaki Pena but became the regular starter in January and has caught the eye with 12 clean sheets in 24 games as Barcelona seek to complete a famous Treble. They sit top of La Liga, face Real Madrid in the Copa del Rey final next weekend and have a Champions League semi-final against Inter coming up.

"Szczesny is a very experienced goalkeeper," he said. "We had the opportunity to bring him in through one of those coincidences in football.

"He was a player we knew had a lot to contribute. The credit goes to the coaches and the players themselves on a day-to-day basis. We're happy with him. He'll surely stay with us next season."

A new deal for Szczesny is likely to spell the end for Pena, who is expected to be sold this summer as he enters the final 12 months of his own contract.

Ter Stegen has returned to training, having initially been expected to miss the entire season. The German recently admitted he is feeling positive about his imminent return but declined to put a time frame on his comeback.

"I'm back after six months and I'm feeling physically better than ever, with lots of energy," he told Phrasenmaher.

"I have a super team around me. I'm handling the physical strain and I'm hungry to play soon, but I don't have a specific date in mind. If I can get fit and training goes well, I'll give the coach a nudge when I’m ready."

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