While Barcelona continue to deal with Financial Fair Play problems, they are eager to resolve the contract situations of some of their younger players in the squad.
Recent reports suggested that young left-back Alejandro Balde was set to pen a new deal that will keep him at Spotify Camp Nou until the summer of 2027.
And, there have been reports about Barcelona handing a new contract to goalkeeper Inaki Pena as well.
Corroborating those claims, Mundo Deportivo is now stating that the 23-year-old is just ‘one step away’ from renewing his contract with the club.
Pena has been at the club since he was 13 years old, and has always been held in high regard as he rose through the La Masia ranks.
The goalkeeper from Alicante went out on loan to Galatasaray during the second half of the last season and made a solid impression in his short spell in Turkey.
Since returning to Barcelona in the summer, Pena has continued to impress the coaching staff and the club’s sports management team even though game-time has not been forthcoming due to Marc-Andre ter Stegen’s unrivalled form.
Despite that, Barça see Pena as a player who can take over from the German international in the medium-term. And given that his contract expires on June 30, 2023, the Catalans have been intent on tying him down to a new deal.
The player, for his part, is happy to continue at Barça, which led to negotiations over a new contract intensifying in the recent weeks. And the two parties are now about to seal an agreement that will keep Pena at the club for the next three seasons, until 2026.
While an extension might be close, Barcelona could hold off on registering Pena’s new contract until their Financial Fair Play issues are resolved, much like the situation with Gavi.