Barça’s pursuit for the successor of Valdés.

With each passing month, it becomes more evident that the likelihood of Victor Valdes remaining with Barça becomes more bleak. It took the club a long time to settle on a true starting keeper after they discarded Zubizarreta following the 1994-1995 European Cup Final. Perhaps it’s no coincidence that the club’s fortune improved when they decided on Valdés being the man in goal for the long-term. The club will now have to seek a suitable replacement for Valdés and the list of candidates is impressive but dubious.

It is ironic that the man tasked with the responsibility of finding the next Barça keeper is one of the club’s own legendary keepers, Zubizarreta. Fortunately, the search for a keeper will not be that difficult. The choices available range from old and seasoned to up and coming young talents, however, what will be difficult is making sure the right one is chosen. We went through the likes of Victor Baia, Ruud Hesp, Bonano, Enke, Rustu and even Pepe Reina, who is also a potential candidate as well, before the club settled on Valdés.

The current list of candidates consists of Borussia Monchengladbach’s youngster, Ter Stegen, Manchester United’s David De Gea, former Blaugrana keeper Pepe Reina who is currently on loan with Napoli, and Atletico Madrid’s Courtois who is on loan from Chelsea. Prying some of these keepers will be very difficult and will not be cheap.

I have a tough time believe De Gea is going to be sold by Manchester United unless he has some poor performances the rest of the season. If that is the case, why should Barça then sign him then? As for Pepe Reina, it seems that many Cules are not in favor of seeing the former keeper back with the team. Sure, he is familiar with the players because of the Spanish national team connection. However, my issue is that Barça need a younger keeper who can provide a decade of service if possible and Reina has only a few years left in him.

This basically leaves us with two choices. Ter Stegen and Courtois. Ter Stegen is a young keeper whom the club supposedly has already made an agreement to obtain his services for next season. He seems to be destined to be one of the keepers for the German World Cup roster. However, one has to wonder if he is the right choice for the club. It’s not easy being Barça’s keeper; just ask Valdés and what he had to endure over the years. Does playing for BMG prepare him for the late night kickoffs at the Camp Nou and those intense matches in Europe and against Real Madrid? Maybe the gamble in signing him would pay off but can Barça afford to chance it? He would be worth signing to be an understudy although Barça B Masip also seems suited for that role if Pinto is not brought back to be Barça’s backup keeper.

That leaves us with the ever so impressive Courtois. He was signed by Chelsea when he was a teenager and was sent on loan to Atletico Madrid. The young keeper has been sensational ever since he joined Atletico Madrid. He has helped his side add another Europa League title and played a vital part in ending their long winless streak against their derby rivals, Real Madrid. That victory came in last season’s Copa del Rey Final which was played in Real Madrid’s own turf. Courtois played phenomenally well, and had some luck to assist him too, as Atletico Madrid triumphed and added another Copa del Rey to their trophy case.

Furthermore, the young phenom has performed well in the Champions League. Courtois has also helped guide Belgium back to the World Cup for the first time since 2002. There’s no doubt that his experience at the World Cup will only make him stronger. His resume makes him the perfect candidate for Barça to sign as their long-term keeper. The only stumbling block will be his price tag. He is still is a Chelsea player and with Mourinho there, it is highly unlikely that he will sell the young Belgian keeper to the club without asking for a king’s ransom, if he decides to sell at all.

Zubizarreta has a tall order ahead of him. Replacing Valdés is not an easy task and this upcoming summer will be a difficult one for him and Rosell if he chooses to get involved. The right man has to be chosen because the club has a team built to win for now and a wrong choice will be a setback for their title ambitions. Clock is ticking and hopefully Barça makes the right choice in the end.

Valdés’s Decision to Leave should be Respected and a Cause for Concern.

Victor Valdés’s announcement last week that he was not going to extend his stay with his club when his deal runs out next season caught many by surprise. The reaction to the news was mixed with some indicating that Valdés is free to go explore other leagues. Others however were upset that he made this announcement that could be deemed as ingratitude or even treacherous and a distraction that the team does not need.

After many years of great service for the club, Valdés has decided to venture elsewhere at the conclusion of the 2013-2014 season. I am not surprised by his decision. If Pep wanted to play elsewhere, then why can’t Valdés. There is no rule that says every player must retire with the club. Even the great Kubala ended up playing for Espanyol with Di Stefano after a decade’s worth of service. Ultimately, Valdés is entitled to expand his horizon and experience a different league.

However, there are concerns that cannot be ignored. The timing of his announcement was a bit puzzling to say the least. He could have said this near the end of the season and avoid creating a distraction for the manager and players for the reason of this season. Instead, everyone will have to answer questions about this topic which is what the club did not need as they continue their quest for a treble. I wasn’t too thrilled in the manner the announcement was made either when this decision was announced by his agent on the radio instead of having Valdés personally address which he has yet to do.

Nevertheless, the bigger concern for the club is finding someone to replace Valdés. Sure, many will point that Valdés has had his share of blunders over the years and that the style of play is a big reason in how he won all those Zamora trophies. Now it is true that Barça’s style doesn’t allow Valdés to face many shots in a game.  However, he is a vital piece of the team in terms of understanding the style of Barça and when he is on top of his game, this team becomes near unbeatable.

However, we now have to see if he will stay till the end of next season,  and who will come in to replace him and also Pinto but that’s a discussion best saved for another day. Barça went through an ordeal to find Zubizaretta’s replacement. It took close to a decade before the club finally settled on a goalkeeper when Frank Rijkaard picked Valdés to be the starter over Rustu. I certainly hope we don't go through the trial and errors of Baia, Hesp, Enke, Dutruel, Bonano, Reina, and Rustu again. If Valdés decides to stay, then great news but if he plans to seek an adventure to another league, then the club have their work cut out for them.

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The goalkeeper position is one of the toughest one at FC Barcelona. We have seen good keepers like Baia struggle with the pressure of playing at this club and Pepe Reina had his problems before going on to play for Villarreal and Liverpool. It’s not just about saves, but it’s also being able to play the ball with your feet and keeping the ball movement fluid. It’s not an easy task and hopefully the club can find someone who is comfortable playing for a club as big as Barça and can get used to the style and players of this club. The good news is that they have plenty of time to scout for the right choice. The problem is will the club be able to find a goalkeeper, or two if Pinto is not coming back, and spare us from the suffering of going through keepers on a yearly basis like we witnessed  before? Thus, Zubizarreta will have his hands full in finding the man who will replace his successor as the next long term Barça goalkeeper.