FC Barcelona are staring at some restructuring of their goalkeeping department this summer, with there being a problem of abundance in the position.
Joan Garcia will continue as the undisputed starter in goal and Wojciech Szczesny will remain his deputy.
But beyond that, there are some decisions that the Blaugrana need to take, with regard to players like Marc-Andre ter Stegen and Inaki Pena returning from loan, as well as young shot-stoppers like Aron Yaakobishvili and Diego Kochen .
Now, according to The Athletic , Kochen is expected to leave Barcelona on a loan deal for the upcoming season.
Kochen served as the third-choice goalkeeper for most of the 2025/26 season, while also playing for Barça Atletic.
Expected to leave on loan. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)
However, the club believes the 20-year-old goalkeeper needs playing time at the first-team level and, given that the goalkeeping position is crowded, they feel that the best option for the American is to leave in search of playing time.
Furthermore, the report states that Kochen has already received offers from several clubs in the Spanish second division.
It would mirror the approach Barcelona took with Yaakobishvili, who was loaned out to Andorra last season where he played fairly regularly and made a solid impression.
Kochen, however, is seeking assurances about regular playing time in the first team, which could pose a challenge, considering his age.
Where will Kochen play next season? (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)
The young US goalkeeper has been at Barcelona since 2019 and has grown through the ranks at La Masia .
So far, Kochen has made 37 appearances for the reserve team, Barça Atletic, of which 20 came in the RFEF Segunda Division last season, in which he kept seven clean sheets.
The goalkeeper's contract with the Catalans runs until the summer of 2028. While he is rated very highly within the club, a loan move makes sense at this moment given that he needs regular minutes to progress and live up to his immense potential.
