Barcelona Moves to Secure Dominik Livakovic as Future Goalkeeper

Barcelona are moving at full speed to lock down their future in goal, with Dominik Livakovic due to touch down in the city today to complete the final steps of his move.

The Croatian international is expected to arrive this afternoon at Barcelona’s private flight terminal, with the club ready to start the formalities that will turn him into their latest signing. His medical is booked for tomorrow at the Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper, after which the final paperwork can be wrapped up.

This is not just another squad signing. It is a strategic move – and one that immediately throws up a major question.

Planning beyond Szczesny

Inside the sporting department, Deco and his team have been working with one eye firmly on the expiry date of Wojciech Szczesny’s contract. They do not want to reach that point scrambling for solutions in a difficult market.

So they have gone early.

Rather than waiting for a crisis at the position, Barcelona have chosen to secure a goalkeeper they believe can anchor the role for years. That is why the operation carries so much weight internally: Livakovic is being treated as a piece for both the present and the future, not a stopgap.

He is not coming to simply “make up the numbers”. His profile and experience mean the next decision about him – what happens immediately after he signs – could shape Barça’s goal for the next cycle.

Two paths on the table

Once the medical is passed and the contract signed, the real debate starts.

Barcelona are weighing two clear plans for Livakovic’s immediate future.

• The first is a loan. The club could send him out straight away to a side where he would be guaranteed regular minutes, then bring him back when Szczesny’s deal runs down. From a development standpoint, the logic is obvious: week-in, week-out football would allow Livakovic to return to Camp Nou sharper, more settled, and ready to compete from day one.
• But there is a competing idea. Barcelona are also seriously considering keeping him under Hansi Flick’s command from the outset. That route would let the coaching staff work with him every day, mould his game to the team’s demands, and integrate him into the club’s style without delay.

Both options have clear upsides. Both carry risk. And for now, no final call has been made.

Livakovic is due in at around 5:30 p.m. local time, then straight into medical tests on Wednesday. Only once those are completed will Barcelona move to close the deal officially.

The transfer itself is almost done. The real battle – deciding how to shape the club’s next No. 1 – starts the moment he signs.