Barcelona's Pursuit of Dominik Livakovic: Agreement in Place but Future Uncertain
FC Barcelona’s goal for the coming years is clear: lock down the goalkeeper position and do it on their own terms. With Joan Garcia already earmarked as the long-term No. 1, the club is now working on the next piece of the puzzle – the man who will stand behind him.
That man could be Dominik Livakovic.
€3 million agreement with Fenerbahce
According to Croatian outlet IndexHR, echoed in Spain by SPORT, Barcelona and Fenerbahce have reached a broad agreement for the Croatia international. The proposed deal sits at around €3 million plus performance-related variables – a modest fee for a keeper with World Cup pedigree.
The blueprint is already sketched out: Barça would sign Livakovic now and immediately send him on loan to Dinamo Zagreb for a season. After that year back in familiar territory, he would return to Camp Nou as the designated second-choice goalkeeper, ready to succeed Wojciech Szczesny when the Pole’s contract runs out in June 2027. Garcia, in that scenario, stays as the undisputed starter.
On paper, it’s a neat succession plan. In practice, it is not fully sealed.
Plan agreed, future undecided
SPORT’s own information paints a more cautious picture. Negotiations with Fenerbahce are described as advanced, but Livakovic’s immediate destination is not yet locked in, despite the confident reports coming out of Croatia.
Yes, the initial idea is clear: a loan to Dinamo Zagreb. But other doors remain open. Barcelona have not ruled out sending him on loan to another club, depending on offers and minutes guaranteed. There is even a scenario – more complex, but not impossible – in which Livakovic joins Barça’s first team squad straight away this season.
That last option depends on one familiar obstacle: La Liga’s salary cap. If the numbers work and the registration can be approved, Livakovic could walk into the dressing room at Barcelona far sooner than expected.
For now, the deal is not done. The framework is in place, the talks are “well advanced”, but signatures are still missing.
World Cup displays and a key agent
Livakovic’s standing inside Barcelona’s sporting department was shaped on the biggest stage. His performances at the World Cup, where he became one of Croatia’s standout figures, made a strong impression on the club’s decision-makers and pushed him up their shortlist.
There is also an important figure working in the background: Andy Bara, Livakovic’s agent. Bara maintains a close relationship with Barcelona and is heavily involved in trying to stitch together an agreement that suits all parties – Barça, Fenerbahce, Dinamo Zagreb and, crucially, the player himself. Finding that balance of fee, role and timing is what separates a good idea from an actual transfer.
A Girona spell best forgotten
Spanish football is not entirely new ground for Livakovic, but his first brush with it was one to forget. He joined Girona on loan from Fenerbahce last summer, a move that was supposed to give him a foothold in La Liga and regular minutes.
He never played a single match.
By January, the experiment was over and the loan cut short. Girona moved on, and his replacement was a familiar face to Barcelona fans: Marc-Andre ter Stegen, the current Barça captain, stepped in after that episode.
That brief, frustrating chapter at Montilivi did little to change Barcelona’s view of Livakovic. Their interest leans far more on his international body of work than on that aborted stint in Catalonia.
Barça’s goalkeeping succession in motion
As it stands, talks between Barcelona and Fenerbahce are progressing and the outlines of a deal are clear, even as Croatian reports slightly overstate how close it is to completion. The Catalan club see Livakovic as a future No. 2, a bridge between the Szczesny era and the long-term bet on Joan Garcia.
Now the question is simple and sharp: does Livakovic arrive as a Barça player who immediately disappears on loan, or does he walk into the Camp Nou dressing room this season and start learning the job up close?
