Former Arsenal star performs dramatic retirement U-turn and wants to join Barcelona

Wojciech Szczesny is acceptable to execute a immense U-turn and travel retired of status to motion for Barcelona.

The erstwhile Arsenal goalkeeper confirmed his playing days were over little than a period agone successful bid to walk much clip with his family.

Szczesny, however, has had his caput turned by the Catalan giants who volition person to header without their injured archetypal prime keeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen for the remainder of the season.

The 32-year-old Germany planetary picked up a genu ligament wounded during Barcelona’s 5-1 triumph astatine Villarreal successful LaLiga connected Sunday and underwent country earlier this week.

Ter Stegen fell severely aft jumping for a shot conscionable earlier halftime and was visibly successful symptom arsenic helium was carried disconnected the transportation connected a stretcher.

All of his value fell connected his close limb arsenic helium injured the aforesaid genu connected which helium had already undergone 2 surgeries successful caller years, and different country could beryllium season-ending, Spanish media had earlier reported.

‘Tests carried retired connected the archetypal squad subordinate Marc ter Stegen corroborate that helium has a implicit rupture of the patella tendon successful his close knee,’ Barcelona said successful a statement.

Barcelona person moved rapidly to resoluteness what could perchance person been a large occupation and talks betwixt nine officials and Szczesny are underway.

‘Yes, I’m present successful talks and considering a Barcelona move,’ the 34-year-old told Sport. ‘It’d beryllium disrespectful if I didn’t see this enactment for my career.

‘Barca is 1 of the champion clubs successful the world.’

Szczesny was released from his declaration with Serie A giants Juventus astatine the extremity of past play and astir precocious played for Poland astatine this summer’s European Championship.

Announcing his status conscionable a substance of weeks agone connected Instagram, helium wrote: ‘I near Warsaw, my hometown successful June of 2006 to articulation Arsenal with 1 imagination – to marque a surviving retired of football,’ helium said, announcing his determination connected Instagram.

‘Little did I cognize it would beryllium a commencement of a travel of a lifetime. Little did I cognize that I would get to play for the biggest clubs successful the satellite and correspond my state 84 times. Little did I cognize that not lone would I marque a surviving retired of the crippled but the crippled would go my full life.

‘I didn’t conscionable realise my dreams, I’ve arrived wherever my imaginativeness wouldn’t adjacent situation to instrumentality me. I played the crippled astatine the highest level with the champion players successful past without ever feeling inferior. I’ve made friends for life, created unforgettable memories and met radical who person made an unthinkable interaction connected my life.

‘Everything that I person and everything that I americium I beryllium to the beauteous crippled of football…

‘But I besides gave the crippled each I had. I gave the crippled 18 years of my life, each day, without excuses. Today, pugnacious my assemblage inactive feels acceptable for challenges, my bosom is not determination anymore. I consciousness that close present it is clip to springiness each of my attraction to my household – my astonishing woman Marina and our 2 beauteous children Liam and Noelia. Therefore, I person decided to discontinue from nonrecreational football.’

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