FC Barcelona have all but completed the signing of Polish goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny as an emergency replacement for Marc-Andre ter Stegen, who is out for the season with a knee injury.
The 34-year-old former Juventus and Arsenal shot-stopper arrived in Catalonia today and completed his medicals and contract signing, with an official announcement the only thing pending at this point.
Szczesny is believed to have signed a short-term contract until the end of the season, with a salary lower than what he used to earn at Juventus.
What number will Szczesny take?
With the signing all but done, the question is what number will Szczesny sport on the back of his Barcelona jersey.
In the current Barça first-team squad, only three numbers – 12, 22 and 25 are available at this point.
However, La Liga rules specify that a goalkeeper must wear one of the No. 1, No. 13, or No. 25 shirts in any squad.
Announcement imminent. (Photo by Jonathan Moscrop/Getty Images)
With Ter Stegen being the club’s No. 1 and Pena donning the No. 13 kit, Szczesny will have no choice but to take the No. 25 shirt at Barcelona.
The last person to wear that number for the Catalans was former striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang when he joined the club in January 2022.
Other former stars like Thomas Vermaelen, Jordi Masip, and Oier Olazabal have previously held the No. 25 shirt.
Szczesny, for the most part of his career at Arsenal and Juventus, has always worn the No. 1 shirt.
However, he did use No. 25 during his loan spell at AS Roma and will return to that shirt when he signs for Barcelona.
