Barcelona already negotiating the contract renewal of 23-year-old La Masia graduate

Inaki Pena is one of several Barcelona first-team players whose contract with the club stands to expire at the end of the ongoing season.

And while recent reports indicated that director Mateu Alemany would start addressing the case of such players in January, a fresh update from Matteo Moretto claims that Barcelona have already started negotiations with the camp of Inaki Pena over a new deal.

The 23-year-old La Masia graduate spent the second half of the last season out on loan at Galatasaray and made a solid impression.

Upon returning to Barcelona last summer, Pena was inserted as the No. 2 behind Marc-Andre ter Stegen, with the club opting to get rid of Neto Murara. And there are a lot of expectations on the Spanish goalkeeper for the future.

That is why Barça have already begun talks over a renewal for the goalkeeper, well aware that quite a few clubs, including Galatasaray, are planning to swoop for the youngster in case his contract is allowed to run down.

Pena is yet to make his first-team debut for the Blaugrana but is held in high regard within the club. With the contract renewal now said to be on track, it is expected that the La Masia product will sign a new deal that will keep him at the club for the next 3-4 years.

Pena’s impending renewal will be another step towards Barcelona’s long-term plans to tie down the core of the team for the future, having handed out contracts to the likes of Ansu Fati, Pedri, Gavi and Ronald Araujo over the past year.

Along with Pena, a new deal for Alejandro Balde could also be in the works in the near future.

Given the form that ter Stegen has displayed this season, it could be difficult for Pena to get much game-time. But the youngster could be given some opportunities in Copa del Rey by manager Xavi Hernandez.