Madrid, August 26: Spanish club FC Barcelona is closing in on signing Croatian goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic from Turkish club Fenerbahce.
Livakovic arrived in Barcelona on Tuesday and is expected to complete his medical tests on Wednesday before officially signing with the club.
The 31-year-old Livakovic is viewed as a potential long-term successor to experienced goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny, whose current contract expires in June 2027.
Barcelona has not yet decided whether Livakovic will remain with the first-team squad this season or go on loan. This decision will largely depend on the club’s financial fair play situation, with Dinamo Zagreb being a possible destination for him.
Livakovic’s previous season on loan at Girona was not successful. He left the club after a fallout with then-coach Michel Sanchez in January. Michel accused the goalkeeper of refusing to play in a Copa del Rey match, as Livakovic was seeking regular playing time ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026.
Barcelona is expected to pay around 4 million euros for Livakovic, who is set to sign a four-year contract. He has played 79 matches for Croatia and featured in all four of his country’s matches during the World Cup earlier this summer.
Meanwhile, Barcelona has received a setback. Midfielder Gavi is doubtful for Thursday’s La Liga home match against Athletic Club due to a knee injury, although tests revealed that the issue is not serious.
The Spanish international had to leave the pitch just before halftime during Sunday’s 5-0 victory against Elche after injuring his right knee. There were initial concerns about the injury, as Gavi has previously faced issues with the same knee. He missed most of 2024 due to a torn cruciate ligament and underwent keyhole surgery in 2025, which sidelined him for an additional five months. Barcelona confirmed that tests conducted on Monday ruled out further ligament damage for Gavi.