Jasper Cillessen's time as reserve goalkeeper at Barcelona could be coming to an end as reports from the Spanish media outlet AS have suggested that the Catalan giants are ready to cash in on the Dutch stopper this summer.
The 29-year-old made more than 150 appearances for Ajax before moving to the Camp Nou in 2016, although he has struggled to displace Marc-Andre Ter Stegen as Barcelona's first choice goalkeeper and he has found his playing time limited.
Cillessen has only made 28 appearances in all competitions for Barcelona since joining from the Eredivisie and he has only appeared in two La Liga games during that time. His spell in Spain could well be coming to an end. According to AS, the shot-stopper is likely to make his final appearance for Barcelona in the Copa Del Rey final against Valencia on 25 May.
Cillessen has mainly been limited to appearances in the Copa Del Rey during his time at Barcelona and he has appeared in six games in the competition this season, keeping two clean sheets and conceding six goals in the process. The Dutchman, who has been capped 48 times by his country, has made just one other appearance as he played in the 1-1 draw against Tottenham in the Champions League.
The Barcelona keeper was linked with Liverpool last summer (The Daily Express) but the Reds eventually splashed out on the signing of Roma's impressive Alisson instead.
Barcelona are likely to be looking for a new No. 2 as back-up to the brilliant Ter Stegen if Cillessen were to leave and they could do worse than cast a glance over towards Old Trafford, where Manchester United's Sergio Romero could be considered as an ideal replacement for Cillessen.
Romero's own playing time at United has been limited by the presence of David de Gea but he has performed credibly when called upon, playing 44 games in all competitions since signing from Sampdoria in 2015. The United reserve keeper has only played seven Premier League games during his time in England and he is yet to appear in a top-flight game this season.
Romero has prospered in cup competitions with a series of impressive displays when called upon though and the Argentine, who has made 96 appearances for his country, would be an ideal addition to the Barcelona squad if they were so inclined.
Spanish is Romero's mother tongue so he should have few problems in adapting to life in Spain, although he is contracted to United until 2021. It wouldn't be a straightforward deal but Romero is an option who could be worth considering if Cillessen does depart the Camp Nou this summer.
