Former Manchester City goalkeeper Claudio Bravo is willing to come out of retirement and play for Barcelona following Marc-Andre ter Stegen’s cruciate ligament injury.
Former Manchester City goalkeeper Claudio Bravo has offered to come out of retirement amid Barcelona‘s goalkeeping crisis.
The Catalan club have enjoyed a stellar start to the 2024-25 La Liga schedule, winning all six of their opening games, scoring 22 goals and conceding just five times.
As a result, Hansi Flick‘s troops are currently occupying top spot in the early standings, four points ahead of fierce rivals Real Madrid in second.
Barca managed to keep their buffer at the top of the pile at four points on Sunday afternoon as they smashed Villarreal 5-1 at Estadio la Ceramica.
Attack-minded midfielder Pablo Torre netted his first-ever goal for the club, whilst Robert Lewandowski and Raphinha bagged braces in the first and second halves respectively.
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“If Barcelona want me” – Bravo is ready to play again
In the midst of a brilliant performance against the Yellow Submarine, Barcelona keeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen suffered a serious cruciate ligament injury.
The German veteran was forced off near the half-time break on a stretched and was pictured on his way to hospital, with surgery on the issue expected early this week.
It is understood that Ter Stegen will be out of action for at least seven months, putting his participation for the remainder of the campaign in serious doubt.
With that in mind, ex-Man City stopper Bravo told WinWin that he is prepared unhang the boots and return to action in Spain, stating: “If Barcelona want me, I will be ready to come out of retirement.”
The 41-year-old retired from professional football after featuring for Chile at the Copa America in June, with the two-time Premier League winner playing 75 times for Barca between 2014 and 2016.
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Who could Barcelona sign to replace Ter Stegen?
With the transfer window closed until January, Barcelona will need to dip into the market of free agents if they wish to bolster their shot-stopping ranks in the near future.
Due to the absence of Ter Stegen, the Catalan giants are facing an extended period of time with 25-year-old Inaki Pena as their only first-team option in that position.
As a result, Flick’s side have been linked to some interesting names, as per The Sun, including former Paris-Saint Germain and Real Madrid star Keylor Navas.
It has also been discussed whether Poland international Lewandowski could lure compatriot Wojciech Szczesny to Camp Nou after his departure from Juventus during the summer.