Barcelona’s management is racing against time to finalize several key matters before the summer transfer window opens, as part of a comprehensive plan to restructure the team and reduce the wage bill in order to secure new signings for next season.
The Catalan club is working to free up funds and reduce its wage bill, paving the way for major transfer targets, most notably strengthening its defense and attack with high-profile players.
Related topics
According to press reports, the future of German goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen is now highly uncertain at Barcelona, with increasing indications that the management wants to end his time with the team in the near future.
Barcelona’s management believes that the goalkeeper’s high salary, which is close to €20 million annually, represents a significant burden on the club at this stage, especially given the financial rebalancing plan being spearheaded by Joan Laporta and Deco.
The crises of last summer also played a significant role in straining the relationship between the player and the club’s management after Ter Stegen refused to leave, causing internal disagreements that sparked considerable controversy at Camp Nou.
Reports indicate that the management is no longer convinced of the German goalkeeper’s continued presence, especially after his recurring injuries in recent seasons, coupled with his reduced playing time due to physical problems.
Barcelona had hoped to see the goalkeeper rediscover his best form during his time away from the first team, but a new injury sidelined him for an extended period, further fueling doubts about his future.
Meanwhile, Juan García continues to establish himself as a key player in Hansi Flick’s project, which has strengthened the possibility of Ter Stegen’s permanent departure next summer.
Although Barcelona is keen to sell the player for a transfer fee, the management is not opposed to letting him leave for free if doing so would help eliminate his hefty salary and ease the club’s financial burden.
However, the biggest obstacle lies in the lack of European offers for the German goalkeeper, given his declining market value due to his recurring injuries.
According to the German newspaper Bild, the strongest interest in Ter Stegen has come from Saudi Pro League clubs, but the veteran goalkeeper does not want to leave Europe at the moment, which further complicates his departure from Barcelona.
