Inaki Pena admits 'I want to come back!'
Spanish goalkeeper Inaki Pena, who Barcelona loaned to Galatasaray in 2022, was one of the names on the agenda of the yellow-reds' goalkeeper search last summer. The player, whom the Catalan team eventually loaned to Elche, made statements.
Spanish goalkeeper Inaki Pena, who was linked with Galatasaray in the summer transfer window, has been loaned to Elche until June 2026. The goalkeeper, who has worn the green-white team's jersey this season, will take the field against Barcelona at the weekend.
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Speaking about Barça, his relationship with his teammates, especially Marc-André ter Stegen, and the young talent Lamine Yamal, Pena's confession of his comeback attracted attention.
"I played 25 or 26 games, but I had a bitter feeling because I hadn't played in the last few months," Pena said, adding that his decision to leave the Catalan club was made with his personal well-being in mind. Stating that he has found a suitable environment for his development at Elche and that he is satisfied with his current situation, Pena said, "I am very happy to be honest. When the opportunity to transfer to Elche came at the end of the transfer window, I thought about it internally and talked to my family. We see the results in terms of football. We have been performing well since the beginning of the season. I am very happy."
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Pena also praised Lamine Yamal and said, "His hunger for football will make him one of the best in the world." Speaking about his choice of Elche in the transfer window, the Spanish goalkeeper said, "In terms of offers, it is true that I am a little bit tied to Barcelona. As you know, Barcelona asked me to wait until a goalkeeper was transferred. They couldn't let me go without league registration and a fair play agreement. This disrupts your plans a bit because you have to wait. Elche said there was no problem and they could wait. It was an important decision at a time when not all clubs wait until the end of the transfer window. It was something I was personally grateful for and it was a decisive force in my decision."
'I WANT TO COME BACK'
"Every player wants to be where he is happy, where he has been all his life and that's my goal. The club told me that it was an important step for me to leave, to have continuity, to feel important, that's what they thought for me. If you ask me if I want to return to Barcelona, of course yes. After so many years in La Masia, of course yes."
