Official: Barcelona unveil Croatia international as fifth summer signing | OneFootball

Barcelona have announced their fifth signing of the summer transfer window on Thursday, with the club having strengthened their goalkeeping department in the form of Dominik Livakovic.

Last week, reports emerged that Barcelona were cashing the signing of Livakovic, who was out of favour at Fenerbahce. The former Girona loanee was wanted to be the long-term backup to Joan Garcia, with the expectation being that Wojciech Szczesny will leave/retire when his contract expires at the end of the 2026-27 season.

An agreement was quickly reached with Fenerbahce, and Livakovic flew out to Catalonia. Paperwork being delayed on the Turkish club’s end meant that a deal was not announced on Wednesday, but 24 hours later, Barcelona have confirmed the signing of the Croatia international goalkeeper.

Livakovic could leave on loan before transfer window closes

As per MD, Livakovic has penned a four-year contract with Barcelona, which will take him through to the end of the 2029-30 season. But the one of those years could be spent away from Catalonia, with the club keen to send him on loan to guarantee playing time before returning next summer to be Garcia’s understudy.

Right now, Barcelona do not see a need for Livakovic in Hansi Flick’s squad, given that Szczesny is keen as a capable backup to Garcia. But when the Polish veteran leaves in 2027, a replacement was needed, which is why the club has turned to Livakovic, whose years of experience playing at the highest level for Croatia should make him a top number two.

While the expectation is that Livakovic will depart on loan, there is still a chance that he stays and immediately takes over from Szczesny as the first backup to Garcia. Barcelona would have the salary space to keep him if no new striker is signed, although an exit could still happen in this scenario if they receive an acceptable loan offer.