Chilean goalkeeper Claudio Bravo has declared his willingness to come out of retirement to return to FC Barcelona following the serious injury suffered by Marc-André ter Stegen. The German goalkeeper sustained a complete rupture of the patellar tendon in his right knee during the match that the Blaugrana played this Sunday against Villarreal at El Madrigal, which ended in a resounding 5-1 victory for Barcelona. Ter Stegen had to leave the field on a stretcher and was replaced by Iñaki Peña.

Barcelona Confirms Marc-André ter Stegen's Severe Injury and Scheduled Surgery Date

Barcelona confirmed that Ter Stegen will undergo surgery on Monday, opening the possibility for the club to sign a temporary replacement. LaLiga president Javier Tebas explained that the regulations allow for signing a player in the event of long-term injuries, even if the player is not a goalkeeper, as long as the signing respects the same financial value as the injured player. This rule was included in the economic control of clubs.

Claudio Bravo, who was Barcelona's goalkeeper between 2014 and 2016, did not hesitate to offer his help to the Catalan club in these difficult times. "If Barcelona wants me, I’m willing to come out of retirement," said the former Chilean goalkeeper, who hung up his gloves at the end of last season after his contract with Real Betis expired.

Meanwhile, Tebas also addressed Barcelona’s financial situation and the ongoing investigation into the Negreira case. He stated that the club's finances "are better than two years ago and will continue to improve in the future," rejecting claims that LaLiga is favoring the Catalan side. Regarding the investigation, he reminded that LaLiga was the first to report the case to the Prosecutor’s Office, though he insisted that, to date, there is no evidence of payments being made to referees to influence match outcomes.