Barcelona have agreed a deal with Fenerbahce for Croatia goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic as they plan for the future of their goalkeeping department.
The agreement, reported by Spanish newspaper Sport, is understood to be worth about €4m. The clubs are now preparing to exchange the documents required to move the transfer into its formal stages.
Barcelona are expected to complete the remaining paperwork before finalising an arrangement for Livakovic to spend the current season on loan at Fenerbahce. He would then return to Barcelona next summer and become part of the Spanish club’s squad.
The move comes as Barcelona supporters wait for the club to sign a new striker before the end of the transfer window. However, the club’s sporting department has instead made significant progress on a goalkeeping deal, with Wojciech Szczesny entering the final year of his contract.
Barcelona want to ensure they have an experienced replacement available alongside Joan Garcia from next season. The club believe Livakovic has the qualities required for that role, while the possibility of securing him for a fee of around €4m is viewed internally as a valuable opportunity to strengthen an important position well in advance.
There are not thought to be any significant obstacles from the player’s side. Livakovic is said to view a move to Barcelona positively and is waiting for the final steps of the process to be completed.
With Fenerbahce having accepted Barcelona’s offer, the transfer is now considered to be in its closing stages. Barcelona will soon begin preparing the necessary documents, with the exact details of the loan still to be settled. That temporary arrangement would allow Livakovic to maintain regular first-team football during the current season before making the move to the Camp Nou next summer.
A key figure in the negotiations is Croatian agent Andy Bara, who has a strong relationship with the Barcelona hierarchy. Bara has maintained close links with the club’s officials for several years, including sporting director Deco and president Joan Laporta.
He has previously been involved in a number of operations connected with Barcelona, including the deals for Dani Olmo and Joan Garcia. His work is appreciated within the club, particularly because of his willingness to seek solutions during negotiations, even when discussions become complicated.
The agreement represents a change of focus for Barcelona during the final days of the transfer market. While attention has largely centred on the search for another forward, the club have moved decisively to address a position they believe requires long-term planning.
Livakovic, who has established himself as Croatia’s first-choice goalkeeper, is therefore set to remain at Fenerbahce for the current campaign before joining Barcelona next summer, assuming the final documentation and loan terms are completed as expected.
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