Barcelona is in trouble… Ter Stegen’s crisis is taking an unexpected turn

Barcelona face a tough dilemma in the coming weeks over the future of their German goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen, who is no longer in manager Hans Flick’s squad, leaving the sport’s governing body with the difficult options of terminating his contract by mutual consent, re-loaning him and taking a significant chunk of the fee, or buying a permanent transfer.

Spanish publication AS has revealed that there is a glimmer of hope on the horizon with the appointment of Spanish coach Michel as the new coach of Dutch side Ajax, as the coach previously tried to bring Ter Stegen to Girona last season and now sees him as a potential option to bolster the new team’s goalkeeper, who urgently need support in this important position.

The biggest obstacle

However, the transfer process will not be easy at all, as the German goalkeeper’s astronomical salary is a barrier to any possible move, as Ter Stegen earns more than €15 million per year, which is a very high amount that is beyond the financial means of Dutch side Ajax.

According to available reports, the Dutch club cannot pay more than €1 million at best, which is the same amount that Girona paid last season when the player was loaned out, meaning that any possible deal would require complex negotiations between the three parties.

Barcelona will bear the financial burden

It would make sense for Barcelona to bear the bulk, if not all, of the goalkeeper’s salary in order to sign a new loan deal, something the Catalan club would strongly prefer to avoid in order not to continue to carry a huge financial burden for a player outside the technical plans.

Barcelona are looking to find a final solution through a permanent transfer, avoid ongoing negotiations with other clubs and decisively put an end to this difficult case, but this option faces another no less dangerous obstacle – a worrying physical condition.

Worrying medical history scares away clubs

After Ter Stegen’s multiple and serious injuries over the past two years, no club can be sure of his true fitness or ability to return to the level that made him one of Europe’s best goalkeepers.

It’s clear that no club will risk investing big money in a player with a troubling medical history, paying a huge transfer fee or all of his huge wages, especially in the absence of real guarantees of fitness and continuity.

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