Joan Laporta is preparing FC Barcelona’s squad for the upcoming season but faces an unexpected challenge. After weeks of negotiations, the club has failed to reach a renewal agreement with Áron Yaakobishvili, a promising goalkeeper from the youth academy whose contract expires on June 30. As a result, the club is considering selling him immediately to avoid losing him for free.
According to Relevo, Yaakobishvili is exploring new career opportunities after realizing his chances at Barcelona are slim. His exclusion from the squad for the Youth League match against Borussia Dortmund highlights his uncertain future.
With several goalkeepers ahead of him in the pecking order, his departure seems inevitable.
Laporta has made it clear that if Yaakobishvili wants to leave, the club will facilitate his exit, but only if it happens soon. Barcelona hopes to secure some financial return from his transfer rather than letting him leave as a free agent when his contract expires.
Despite Yaakobishvili’s potential, Barcelona doesn’t consider him untouchable. Laporta has already identified his ideal successor to Marc-André ter Stegen: Diego Kochen.
The American goalkeeper, also 18 years old, has emerged as the primary shot-stopper for Barcelona Atlètic and has been signed until 2028.
His technical abilities and physical attributes have impressed the club’s management, making him a key figure for Barcelona’s future.
The plan is for Kochen to become the club’s first-choice goalkeeper in the coming years, effectively closing the door on Yaakobishvili’s progression within the team. While nothing is certain yet, it seems likely that the Hungarian goalkeeper will leave Barcelona, either in the January transfer window or next summer when his contract ends.
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