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Barcelona goalkeeper Inaki Pena has confirmed he will spend the rest of the 2021-22 season on loan with Turkish side Galatasaray after leaving the Camp Nou.
The 22-year-old is Barcelona’s third choice keeper, behind Marc-Andre ter Stegen and Neto, and has not featured for the senior side this season but will be hoping for regular football in Turkey.
Pena told reporters after landing in Istanbul that he wants to learn from Galatasaray’s current No. 1 Fernando Muslera, as reported by Ozgur Sancar at Diario AS.
“It makes me very happy to play with a player like Fernando Muslera, I can learn a lot from him,” he said. “My future at Galatasaray is uncertain for now, I don’t know what will happen at the end of the season.”
Muslera is an experienced stopper who has won five league titles with Gala but is currently sidelined with a serious knee injury which could offer Pena the chance to stake a claim to be Galatasaray’s first choice for the rest of the campaign.
The Turkish side are managed by Domènec Torrent who worked previously at Barcelona under Pep Guardiola. Torrent also joined Guardiola for spells at Bayern Munich and Manchester City.
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More Late Transfer Activity at Barcelona?
The winter transfer window closes in Spain at midnight on January 31 which means there is precious little time left for further players to arrive or depart at the Camp Nou.
One player who could still make the switch to Barcelona is Arsenal striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. Indeed, the Gabon international was captured arriving at Barcelona airport on deadline day, as shown by journalist Gerard Romero.
Aubameyang has an agreement in place with Barcelona “but the deal is expected to go through only if the Catalan club can move at least one player out,” as reported by Fabrizio Romano for the Guardian.
Aubameyang Set For Medical
The 32-year-old striker, who has not played for Arsenal since early December after falling out with coach Mikel Arteta, is due to have a medical at Barcelona on Monday afternoon, as reported by journalist Adria Albets.
Aubameyang was diagnosed with “cardiac lesions” while at the AFCON tournament with Gabon after recovering from Covid-19. The striker returned home and later confirmed on social media he had been given the all clear after a check-up.
If the striker does arrive the will become Barcelona’s fourth signing of the winter, following Dani Alves, Ferran Torres, and Adama Traore in making the switch to the Camp Nou.
It remains to be seen if there will be any outgoings at Barcelona and if the club can offload Ousmane Dembele. Paris Saint-Germain have been linked with the forward ahead of the close of the transfer window.
However, French newspaper Le Parisien has reported on deadline day that a January move for Dembele is now “totally improbable.” The forward’s contract at Barcelona expires at the end of the current campaign when he’ll be able to leave on a free transfer.
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Barcelona Youngster Confirms Exit After Loan Agreed