Pepe Reina will join Barcelona next summer, according to reports in Spain.
The 31-year-old is spending the current season in Italy with Napoli, after Rafael Benitez returned to Liverpool to take his former charge on loan. Reina has played both Serie A games for his new club, who top the table having picked up maximum points.
Meanwhile, at his parent club, Simon Mignolet has kept three clean sheets as Brendan Rodgers’ side have also enjoyed a perfect start to the season. The Belgian joined from Sunderland during the summer, and is expected to hold the number one position for the foreseeable future.
Although the Reds insist Reina can still have a future on Merseyside, he is unlikely to be taken with the idea of returning merely to provide cover. And reports in Spain claim the former Villarreal goalkeeper will instead return to his homeland and rejoin Barcelona in the summer.
The Madrid-born ace spent two years at the Camp Nou, making 30 appearances in La Liga, before losing his place to Victor Valdes in 2002. However, the latter is out of contract at the end of the season, and has already stated an intention to leave for a fresh challenge.
Reina has been a great servant to Liverpool during the eight years he has spent at the club, although during this time he has collected just one FA Cup and one League Cup. On a personal level, he has won the Premier League Golden Glove award for most clean sheets in a season on three occasions, and was named his club’s player of the season in 2010. He remains under contract on Merseyside until the summer of 2016, so Barca will have to pay a fee to secure his services.
