FC Barcelona has reportedly locked down personal terms with Croatian goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic, moving swiftly in their pursuit of the 31-year-old shot-stopper. Turkish journalist Yagiz Sabuncuoglu broke the news, confirming the La Liga champions and Livakovic have agreed on personal terms. Now, the focus shifts to talks with his current club, Fenerbahce, as the Blaugrana try to nail down a transfer agreement ASAP. This whole operation feels like it’s moving at express speed, and you gotta wonder what the long game here really is.
Why Livakovic For Barca?
Barcelona went into this summer needing to recruit an experienced goalkeeper. Someone who could provide serious cover and competition for their first-choice starter, Joan Garcia. They eyed Real Sociedad’s Alex Remiro for a bit, but that didn’t go anywhere. Then, Livakovic’s performances at the World Cup with Croatia clearly made a huge impression on the La Liga champs. They saw what they needed in him. The plan is for Livakovic to take over as the club’s second-choice goalkeeper next season, when Polish veteran Wojciech Szczesny’s contract expires. It’s a long-term play for depth and experience, something every top club absolutely needs.
The Crazy Loan Twist and Next Steps
So, Barcelona is now deep in talks with Fenerbahce to finalize this signing. Negotiations are reportedly in an advanced stage, thanks in part to agent Andy Bara, who represents Livakovic and has a strong relationship with Barça. The proposed deal could be closed for a fee around €3 million, plus some performance-related variables. But here’s the kicker, and this is wild: the current plan is for Livakovic to sign with Barcelona, and then immediately get loaned out! Yeah, you read that right. He could head back to Dinamo Zagreb, where he spent the second half of the previous season on loan from Fenerbahce, or another club. He’d finish out the current campaign there and then return to the Catalan capital in 2027, ready to step in for Szczesny. However, they haven’t entirely ruled out keeping him as part of Hansi Flick’s squad for this current season either. Talk about keeping everyone on their toes!
This whole situation is wild, right? A major club like Barcelona agrees terms with a player, only to potentially loan him right back out. It’s a fascinating play for future depth and a steal at just €3 million if he pans out. Now, all eyes are on the club-to-club talks with Fenerbahce to see if they can close this deal and what happens next for Livakovic this season.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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