How things stand: Goal keeper

(a few weeks before the end of the season, Barça Transfer Zone looks forward to the coming transfer summer making an analysis for each position, in part 1 we look at the goal keeper)

2007-2008
Until today, Víctor Váldes (26) has played every official game except for four. Albert Jorquera (29) played one Spanish cup game and one Champions League game, Barcelona B goal keeper Oier Olazábal (18) played one Spanish Cup game and Celta Vigo loan out José Manuel Pinto (32) made his debut last Saturday in the Liga game against Deportivo.

Out
Having had the habit over the last years to only have two goal keepers in the squad of the first team, Barcelona made a strange move earlier this year when they renewed Jorquera, whose contract expired in June, for two more years (read more here), while at the same time taking an option to buy Pinto, who was brought in on loan after Jorquera got injured last December (read more here).

Barcelona, who paid Celta 500 000 euro° for the loan deal, has to decide before the end of May if they want to make the loan deal permanent, something Barcelona would not have to pay one euro extra for. If the two-goal keepers-for-the-first-squad theory is not changed, it seems nevertheless logical that Barcelona will not use the option they have on Pinto if Jorquera recovers in time, despite claims that Pinto could well stay (read more here).

In
Although the two (or even three) available places seem to be filled, there are regularly rumours about new goal keepers that could be transferred to rival Valdés as Barcelona's first choice goalkeeper. Names that have passed in the last months are Petr Cech (Chelsea - 25), Manuel Neuer (Schalke - 22), Thomas Sörensen (Aston Villa - 31), Jussi Jääskeläinen (Bolton - 33) and Júlio César (Inter Milan - 28).

A new goalkeeper nevertheless does not seems a priority at this moment, which leads to think that the money in the first place will be used to strengthen other positions in the team and that Barcelona will start the next season with Valdés as regular and Jorquera (and/or Pinto) as his back-up.

Read the other How things stand contributions here in the coming weeks:
Goal keeper - Right back defender - Central defenders - Left back defender - Defensive midfielder - Attacking midfielders - Wing attackers - Centre forward