Wojciech Szczesny has come under scrutiny in recent weeks following his disappointing Champions League performance for Barcelona against Benfica. The Polish goalkeeper gifted two goals to the Portuguese side, but it turned out to be in vain anyway as the Catalans recorded a memorable 5-4 comeback victory at the Estadio da Luz.
Nevertheless, there was some outrage towards Szczesny, who had to wait until earlier this month to make his Barcelona debut despite signing in October. Inaki Pena had been the regular starter until then, although he could take back the gloves when Valencia come to the Estadi Olimpic this weekend, which could be the plan anyway given he has been an ever-present in La Liga.
Szczesny, who retired last summer after leaving Juventus, was brought in by Barcelona as a replacement for Marc-André Ter Stegen, who is expected to miss the rest of the season with a knee ligament injury sustained in the win over Villarreal in September.
Szczesny was by far the leading candidate for Barcelona, who had opted for an immediate replacement rather than wait until January. He wasn't alone, however, as ex-Sevilla goalkeeper Tomas Vaclik revealed in a recent interview with Polish media Tvp Sport (via Marca) that he was also being considered.
“I was constantly following the announcement of Szczesny's retirement and then his move to Barcelona, as I was also being looked at for a transfer to Barcelona to replace Ter Stegen. In the end they chose Szczesny.”
Like Szczesny, Vaclik was (and is) a free agent, having left Segunda side Albacete at the end of last season. He would have been a cheaper option in terms of wages, although Barcelona likely decided he wasn't at the level needed to compete for the starting spot alongside Pena.
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