But it's complicated by an injury to Ter Stegen.
Barcelona's top two keepers don't like the arrangement. Both want to be the team's undisputed starter. Both say they'll leave otherwise. And now that push has come to shove, it looks like Barcelona are keeping Marc-Andre ter Stegen and letting Claudio Bravo go.
A report in Mundo Deportivo says Bravo has agreed personal terms with Manchester City, where Pep Guardiola had put Joe Hart on the bench. He seemed on his way out, but then... Ter Stegen got injured. Now he's out for a couple of weeks it seems. meaning Bravo has to start against Sevilla, and then...
The question becomes for how long Barcelona will keep Bravo. Giving Jordi Masip the starting role seems unthinkable. Surely a replacement would be drafted but that is also not optimal. There would be little time to get a new face up to speed and an adjustment period would surely be necessary.
Still, if City pay what Barcelona ask for - between 20 and 25 million euros - it would be a big windfall for an aging, presumably backup keeper (even a brilliant one.)
And now Deportivo Valenciano says if Bravo leaves, which is getting likelier, Barcelona's replacement will be Valencia's Diego Alves. Apparently Matthew Ryan and Jaume Domenech are ahead of him in the pecking order, so it's a matter of time before Alves leaves.
The 31-year-old is a brilliant shot-stopper and a penalty saving expert (once helping secure La Liga for Barcelona by stopping a Cristiano Ronaldo penalty.) He has years of experience in Spain. The problem is he had been injured a lot as of late and the fact that he's sunk to third-choice at Valencia could be a warning sign. Then again, Barcelona only need Alves for a few weeks early and maybe some cup games after, and if worse comes to worst, Masip would be an adequate placeholder for a game or two.
So are Barcelona destined to have a Brazilian D. Alves again? Time is running short to find out.
from Barca Blaugranes - All Posts http://ift.tt/2buW75L
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