Barcelona draw up 3-man transfer shortlist as Joan Laporta looks to strengthen key area: Reports 

FC Barcelona v Real Sociedad - La Liga EA Sports - Source: Getty
Barcelona manager Hansi Flick.

Barcelona have identified Bart Verbruggen, Lucas Chevalier, and Joan Garcia as possible options to shore up their goalkeeper position, according to Fichajes.net. The Catalans are without Marc-Andre ter Stegen at the moment, with the German custodian picking up a knee injury in September.

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The LaLiga giants managed to convince former Juventus goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny to come out of retirement last October to address the situation. The Pole has since taken over the No. 1 role from Inaki Pena at Camp Nou.

Szczesny has seven clean sheets from 13 games this season and his contract expires in June. The player will turn 35 next month and cannot be a long-term solution for the position.

Meanwhile, Pena will enter the final year of his contract this summer and remains linked with an exit. Ter Stegen has suffered from recurring knee injuries and Barcelona want to address the situation once and for all this year.

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Catalans president Joan Laporta has now prepared a three-man shortlist for the position. Verbruggen has been outstanding for Brighton & Hove Albion this season, registering seven clean sheets in 28 games.

Chevalier, meanwhile, has caught the eye with Lille, registering 10 clean sheets in 37 games. Finally, Joan Garcia, who plays for Barcelona's local rivals Espanyol, is also on the list.

The 23-year-old is highly regarded in LaLiga and has registered four clean sheets in 25 games. All three players are expected to cost around €30m, which could pose a problem for the Catalans.

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Will Barcelona offload Ansu Fati this summer?

Marc-Andre ter Stegen
Marc-Andre ter Stegen

Barcelona are apparently planning to offload Ansu Fati to the Middle East this summer, according to SPORT. The Spanish forward is a forgotten man at Camp Nou after dropping down the pecking order under Hansi Flick.

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Fati has registered just eight appearances across competitions this season for the Catalans, starting just one, and no longer features in Flick's plans. With the player's contract running until 2027, the LaLiga giants are eager to move him on to remove his exorbitant salary from their wage bill.

Barcelona would prefer to offload him permanently, although they are also open to a loan deal. There's very little interest in him from European clubs, and the Catalans are now exploring options in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the Emirates. However, they will have to convince the 22-year-old to leave Camp Nou to move to the Middle East this year.

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Edited by Parag Jain
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