Barcelona's Pursuit of Livakovic Intensifies
FC Barcelona are quietly building their next goalkeeping era. Joan Garcia has been marked out as the long-term No. 1, and behind him the club are already working on the piece that will complete the puzzle once Wojciech Szczesny’s contract runs out in June 2027.
That name is Dominik Livakovic.
€3 million agreement in place
In Croatia, the story is being told as almost done. IndexHR, echoed by SPORT, report that Barcelona and Fenerbahce have reached an agreement for the Croatian international. The fee: around €3 million plus a package of variables.
The structure is clear. Barça would sign Livakovic now, then immediately send him out on loan for a season to Dinamo Zagreb, the club where he made his name. After that year back home, he would return to Barcelona as the designated No. 2, sliding in behind Garcia and effectively inheriting Szczesny’s current role once the Pole’s deal expires.
On paper, it’s a neat succession plan. In practice, there is still work to do.
Barça version: advanced talks, no final green light
From Barcelona’s side, the tone is more cautious. SPORT report that negotiations with Fenerbahce are indeed advanced, but insist that Livakovic’s immediate future is not definitively closed, despite the confident noises coming out of Croatia.
The initial roadmap remains a loan to Dinamo Zagreb. That is the preferred route. But it is not the only one on the table.
Other options are being discussed: a loan to a different club, or even keeping Livakovic at Barcelona this season and registering him with the first team, if the salary-cap calculations allow it. That last point is crucial. Any decision to bring him straight into the squad will depend on La Liga’s financial rules and Barça’s room to manoeuvre.
So the framework of the deal is in place, the clubs are aligned on the broad terms, but the final call on where he plays next season has not yet been taken.
World Cup showcase and a familiar ally
Livakovic’s World Cup performances have carried real weight in Barcelona’s internal debates. His displays for Croatia in Qatar, especially under intense pressure in the knockout rounds, strengthened his case with the sporting department and pushed him towards the top of their list of future back-up goalkeepers.
Behind the scenes, one figure is stitching the operation together: Andy Bara. Livakovic’s agent maintains a close relationship with Barcelona and is heavily involved in finding a formula that suits all parties – Fenerbahce, Barça, Dinamo Zagreb and the player himself. His role is central to turning an advanced negotiation into a signed contract.
Girona: a Spanish chapter to erase
Spain is not new territory for Livakovic, but his first taste of La Liga is one he will want to erase.
He arrived at Girona on loan from Fenerbahce last summer, expected to compete and contribute. It never happened. He failed to make a single appearance and cut the spell short in January, leaving Montilivi without having played a minute.
The twist? His replacement after that failed stint was Marc-Andre ter Stegen, now Barcelona’s captain. The contrast between expectation and reality at Girona turned that loan into a chapter to forget.
Deal close, but not done
What is clear now is that Barcelona see beyond that Girona misfire. They are betting on the World Cup goalkeeper, not the unused loanee.
Talks with Fenerbahce are advanced and progressing, the financial outline is set, and the long-term plan is drawn. But despite the headlines in Croatia, there is still no final agreement signed, and no definitive decision on where Dominik Livakovic will play his football next season.
Barcelona have chosen their man. The only question left is where his road to Camp Nou actually begins.
