Former Real Madrid star stands as the current favorite for Ter Stegen's replacement

While FC Barcelona's 5-1 victory against Villarreal came in the most dominating way, having huge positives for the Blaugrana, Ter Stegen's injury in the fixture has been a major concern for the club. The German goalkeeper, who was having a brilliant game, faced a severe injury while trying to collect a corner through ball.

Former Real Madrid star stands as the current favorite for Ter Stegen's replacement

Although Inaki Pena, soon coming in for the German number 1, took the goal duties, helping the Blaugrana club register a 5-1 win, Hansi Flick and the board definitely need to look for who could be their goalkeeper for the rest of the season. While Inaki Pena, the Catalan club's homegrown number 1, could be a viable option, the club might want to explore the available free agents for the role.

There have been some exciting names on the club's shortlisted chart, including former Real Madrid star Keylor Navas, former Liverpool starter Loris Karius, and Szczesny, who retired a few weeks ago. While clearly, the nominated options aren't very varied, as would be expected, with all of them being 32+, Keylor Navas could be a dominant man for the role.

Although the club is yet to decide whether to sign a replacement currently or wait for the transfer window to secure a future option, current reports suggest that Navas stands as the favorite if the club is to make a signing now. In a survey conducted by Diario SPORT, in case Barcelona were to sign a free-agent goalkeeper, the fans clearly responded with Navas's name.

While it is certain that Navas, a consecutive Champions League-winning goalkeeper, could be an ideal choice for the position, it seems as if his signing won't come easy to Barca. Reports from Mundo Deportivo suggest that even though Navas is open for Barca's offer, his salary could be a huge problem for the club. Being the star goalkeeper he is, having represented top clubs like Real Madrid and PSG early in his career, the goalkeeper would expect significant wages for a move.

As per the current scenario, further updates on Barca's response to Ter Stegen's injury are uncertain. Though they can go for signing a replacement, Navas' salary could be a problem for the club, pushing them to invest in other options. While it remains to be seen what the Blaugrana club decides to do, continuing with Inaki Pena isn't erased in any possibility.