Hansi Flick must decide who will be the third goalkeeper of the first team. The Hungarian Áron Yaakobishvili and the Leonese Eder Aller are the candidates, while Iker Rodríguez from Sabadell will continue in Barça Atlètic.
FC Barcelona faces the coming weeks with the need to define the goalkeeping situation for the 2026-27 season. With Joan Garcia and Wojciech Szczesny as the first and second options, Hansi Flick must choose the third goalkeeper to complete the first team squad. The decision is between two young talents from the academy: 20-year-old Hungarian Áron Yaakobishvili and 19-year-old Leonese Eder Aller.
As the loan of Marc ter Stegen to Ajax progresses slowly, with expectations of it being finalised in the coming days, the Blaugrana club is planning for the immediate future in goal. The sporting management, led by Deco, has shown particular interest in Iker Rodríguez, an 18-year-old goalkeeper from Sabadell. The club is already working on his renewal, with a contract until 2027, and plans for him to continue his development in Barça Atlètic, managed by Juliano Belletti, so he can accumulate minutes and not be hindered by the overlap of matches between the reserve team and the first team.
Therefore, the option for Iker Rodríguez to be the third goalkeeper of the first team is ruled out in the short term. The club's internal idea, five weeks before the transfer market closes, is for the position to be filled by either Yaakobishvili or Aller. Both have already had contact with the dynamics of the first team, although with different trajectories.
Áron Yaakobishvili, known as 'Yaako', is an international with Hungary and has already trained with the first team during pre-season. His most notable experience was a loan to Andorra last season, where he played 21 matches in the Second Division. However, since mid-February, he lost his starting position and was benched. The young goalkeeper views that period positively, and according to club sources, he would welcome the opportunity to play regularly, whether with Barça Atlètic or on a new loan.
On the other hand, Eder Aller, from León, has already had a more active role in the first team last season. He was on the bench for 16 league matches with Hansi Flick, although with Barça Atlètic he only defended the goal in the first match. He also participated in three Youth League matches with the Juvenil A team. This summer, Aller has started pre-season with the reserve team, while Yaakobishvili has done so with the first team.
The final decision will depend on Flick's tactical needs and the evolution of the training sessions. Both goalkeepers have different qualities: Yaakobishvili stands out for his experience in professional categories and his height, while Aller has shown reliability in training with the first team. The German coach values internal competition and does not rule out that both could alternate minutes depending on the circumstances.
For Barça fans, this uncertainty in goal adds an incentive to the pre-season. The decision will be known in the coming weeks, as the transfer market enters its final stretch. Meanwhile, Iker Rodríguez, the Sabadell academy player, continues to work with an eye on the future, with the club's confidence that he will be a pillar in the Blaugrana goal in the medium term.
You may also like
