Barcelona is facing a significant challenge after goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen suffered a serious knee injury during their 5-1 La Liga victory against Villarreal.

Ter Stegen was stretchered off in the first half, and initial reports suggest he may have tendon damage, which could sideline him for up to nine months.

With the transfer window closed in Spain, Barcelona must decide whether to rely on backup keeper Inaki Pena or explore the option of signing a replacement.

According to Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) rules, the club can sign a new goalkeeper under specific conditions: the player must be a free agent and have terminated their contract with their previous club before the transfer window closed on August 31.

Despite being over La Liga’s salary cap, Barcelona can still replace Ter Stegen if his injury is confirmed to keep him out for more than four months.

Under the league’s rules, the club can offer a new goalkeeper up to 80% of Ter Stegen’s salary, which would allow them to allocate around €7 million annually for a replacement, as the German keeper earns €9 million per year.

Previously, La Liga clubs could make emergency signings from other teams within the league when a player suffered a long-term injury, as Barca did in 2020 when they acquired Martin Braithwaite from Leganes after Ousmane Dembele’s injury.

This rule, however, was scrapped in the 2020/21 season following backlash over the Braithwaite transfer, which left Leganes without a key player and led to their eventual relegation.

Now, Barcelona must either trust Inaki Pena to fill in for Ter Stegen or look for a suitable free-agent goalkeeper within the confines of La Liga’s financial fair play regulations.

The club’s management faces a difficult decision as they look to maintain their competitive edge while coping with the absence of their star goalkeeper.

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