Barcelona Nears Agreement for Livakovic as Future No. 2
FC Barcelona’s rebuild in goal is moving piece by piece, and the next one could be Dominik Livakovic.
With Joan Garcia already locked in as the club’s long-term starter and Wojciech Szczesny under contract until June 2027, the Catalans are now working on the role behind them: the future second-choice goalkeeper.
According to Croatian outlet IndexHR, echoed in Spain by SPORT, Barcelona and Fenerbahce have reached a basic agreement for Livakovic. The fee would sit at around €3 million, with performance-related variables on top. For a proven international and World Cup standout, that figure underlines how targeted this move is rather than spectacular.
The structure of the operation is clear on paper. Barcelona would sign Livakovic now and immediately send him on loan to Dinamo Zagreb for a season. After that year back home, he would return to Camp Nou to slot in as the No. 2, stepping in behind Garcia and eventually succeeding Szczesny in the pecking order.
That’s the plan. On paper.
Reality is a little more nuanced.
SPORT report that negotiations between Barcelona and Fenerbahce are indeed at an advanced stage, but Livakovic’s immediate future is not set in stone, despite the confident tone coming from Croatia. The Dinamo Zagreb loan is the preferred route, yet it is not the only one on the table.
Other scenarios remain open. One is a loan to a different club if the Zagreb option cannot be finalised to everyone’s satisfaction. Another, more ambitious, possibility is that Livakovic joins Barcelona’s first team squad straight away this season – but only if the club’s salary-cap situation allows them to register another senior goalkeeper.
So the framework of the deal is close, but the final details are still being pushed around the table.
Inside the club, Livakovic’s World Cup performances have carried significant weight. His displays for Croatia, especially under pressure in knockout football, impressed Barcelona’s sporting department and helped move him to the front of the list of candidates for the role.
A key figure in the operation is his agent, Andy Bara. Well connected in Barcelona and trusted by the club, Bara is working to find a formula that satisfies all sides: Fenerbahce, Barcelona, Livakovic himself, and any club that might take him on loan next season. His influence is central to keeping the deal alive while the details remain fluid.
There is also a Spanish chapter in Livakovic’s story already – one he would probably rather erase.
Last summer, he joined Girona on loan from Fenerbahce, a move that looked like a smart gateway into La Liga. It never took off. He did not play a single official minute for the Catalan side and left Montilivi in January, months before the end of the agreement. Girona then moved for Marc-Andre ter Stegen as his replacement, a twist that now looks almost ironic as Barcelona circle back to Livakovic.
That Girona spell sits as an anomaly in a career otherwise defined by reliability and big-game temperament. Barcelona are betting that it will stay that way.
Talks with Fenerbahce are progressing, the financial outline is in place, and the sporting plan is drawn up. What remains is the decisive call: Dinamo loan, another destination, or an immediate jump into the Camp Nou dressing room if the numbers add up.
Barcelona have their long-term No. 1 in Joan Garcia. They have Szczesny under contract. Now they are closing in on the man who could complete the goalkeeping hierarchy. How they choose to use Dominik Livakovic in year one will say a lot about how bold they want this new era to be.
