As Barcelona prepares to enter the new 2025 La Liga season with a bang, the Catalan club faces a silent internal challenge that could directly impact the transfer window and Hansi Flick’s final squad.
With the opening round fast approaching, the club is working swiftly behind the scenes amid a sudden escalation concerning several players who have effectively fallen out of favor with the German coach, despite their continued presence in the dressing room.
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While the club has managed to resolve some cases—such as the loan deals of Fati and Toure—several high-profile names remain unresolved, most notably Spanish goalkeeper Iñaki Peña. He has become a point of friction for the coaching staff due to his strained relationship with Hansi Flick and his complete exclusion from the manager’s plans for the new season.
Sources close to the club revealed that Flick personally informed the goalkeeper that he has no place in the squad, even in Ter Stegen’s absence due to injury. He made it clear that the player will not only be left off the bench but out of the matchday squad entirely throughout the season if he continues to refuse an exit.
Iñaki, who previously played for Villarreal and Galatasaray, was on the verge of extending his contract, but Joan Laporta and Deco decided to freeze all negotiations after reviewing the latest technical assessments, as Flick sees no added value in keeping him.
Although the club hopes to offload him for around €10 million, no official offers have yet been received, as clubs like Betis and Celta Vigo have stepped back from making a concrete move. For his part, the goalkeeper is not opposed to leaving but is also considering staying until next summer to terminate his contract for free, which would give him more leverage in negotiating his next move.
Meanwhile, Barcelona is preparing to accelerate the forced departure of several out-of-favor players, with time running out before the summer transfer window closes. Flick has firmly rejected the idea of retaining any players outside his plans—even if doing so results in a partial financial loss for the club.
