Football Club Barcelona have quite a few needs to address during the off-season according to their exit from the Champions League, and goalkeeper might be one of them if Victor Valdes is actually leaving. If that is true, it seems that bringing back Pepe Reina from Liverpool, a player who grew up at the club and has played for the senior side during his teenage years, is the first thing on the to-do list.
Reina was considered to be one of the best goalkeepers in Europe during his first few seasons with Liverpool, but as his defense deteriorated, so did his form, often caught off guard and not too concentrated, conceding his fair share of quite foolish, hurting his confidence, especially when it comes to mid-range crosses and making up his mind on whether to rush out to them or not.
But Barcelona don’t always look for what most teams look for in a goalkeeper. Reina is very good on his feet and in one on one situations, but he also plays the sweeper role better than most, better than almost anyone, not to mention having one of the most powerful kicks in the business. For Barcelona, who don’t see themselves as a team that allows that many shots on goal, Reina might be the right goalkeeper.
What of Valdes? It seems like the Premier League is calling, although not quite clear who and where. Maybe Liverpool? Too soon to tell. Quite a few clubs are looking for a new goalkeeper, but Valdes, 30, isn’t the youngest option out there, and not the cheapest one, especially when it comes to his contract, to be found as well. Reina, on the other hand, should cost Barcelona €10 million, hoping to be a little bit more successful the second time around with his boyhood club.
When it comes to Liverpool and Reina himself, it’s been the usual for quite some time. Reina has always said he sees his future with Liverpool, as long as they’re ambitious. They still are, but fail to live up to those ambitions, which might help Reina make a decision to find himself a new team to try and stop goals from going in for.