After fourteen years with FC Barcelona, Iñaki Peña is moving on. The 27-year-old goalkeeper is moving to Greece, joining Panathinaikos on a three-year deal. The transfer fee was reported by MARCA to be around €3 million. Peña made 45 appearances for FC Barcelona in all competitions during his time with the Blaugrana.
After progressing through Barça's academy, Peña made his professional debut in February 2022 while on loan with Turkish side Galatasaray. Just one month later, Barcelona and Galatasaray met in the Europa League Round of 16, with Peña making four saves to keep a clean sheet in the first leg at the Camp Nou. Xavi's Barcelona won 2-1 in the second leg to advance.
Peña returned to Barcelona after his loan the following season as a backup to Marc-André Ter Stegen. In November 2022, Peña made his Barcelona debut in the Champions League in a 4-2 win over Viktoria Plzeň. For the next two seasons, he made 22 appearances in all competitions, playing sporadically in Ter Stegen's absence.
In September 2024, Ter Stegen suffered a serious injury that kept him out for much of the season. Although Barcelona convinced Wojciech Szczęsny to come out of retirement, Peña initially stepped in as Ter Stegen's replacement. He showed some promise, including keeping a clean sheet in a 4-0 win over Real Madrid, but in January, he was dropped for the Supercopa semi final against Athletic Club because of lateness. Szczęsny never gave the starting spot back.
Last summer, Hansi Flick and Barcelona signed another goalkeeper, Joan Garcia. With Garcia and Szczęsny strong options, and Ter Stegen tough to sell due to injuries and his wages, Peña was sent on loan to Elche. He signed a three-year contract extension before leaving, keeping the possibility of a return open.
Peña took over as the club's number one in their first season back in La Liga, but after a good start to the season, Elche's form started to fall. In February, Peña, who conceded 28 goals in 16 games, lost his starting spot to 39-year-old Matías Dituro and finished the season as a back-up as Elche avoided relegation by just one point.
The timing of the sale hardly comes as a surprise. Garcia, signed from rivals Espanyol, showed last season that he is able to be trusted by Barcelona now and in the future. He has quickly emerged as one of the best goalkeepers in the world, and, at 25, it looks like just the beginning. Garcia was selected for Luis de la Fuente's World Cup squad and is currently a backup to Unai Simón in North America.
Szczęsny remains a more than capable backup for Barcelona, despite turning 36 in April. His contract is set to expire next summer. Next season's third-string goalkeeper is not yet decided, as Ter Stegen and youngsters Diego Kochen and Ander Astralaga have all been linked with exits in recent weeks.
Peña will now look to rebuild his career in Greece with Panathinaikos, who finished fourth in the Super League last season and qualified for the Europa Conference League playoffs. Last season's starter, Alban Lafont, has returned to FC Nantes after his loan, meaning that Peña is, in theory, the locked-in starter heading into the season.
A fresh start could be exactly what Peña needs. Although he showed flashes in Barcelona, he was never able to cement himself as a starter, although he will certainly look back fondly on his time in Catalunya.
"Saying goodbye is always hard, but I’m leaving with a lot of memories, everything I’ve learned, and people who will always stay with me," said Peña in his farewell post on Instagram.
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