Ter Stegen loan talks open between Barcelona and Girona as keeper weighs up January move
Barcelona's sidelined German keeper Marc-André ter Stegen considering Girona loan move to secure playing time ahead of World Cup, with wage structure the main hurdle.
Barcelona’s injured goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen faces a crucial decision about his immediate future, with Girona emerging as a potential destination in a loan deal until the end of the season.
World Cup minutes on the mind
The German shot-stopper finds himself in a proper pickle. With Joan García firmly established as Barça’s number one between the sticks, ter Stegen knows he’s unlikely to get a sniff of first-team action for the remainder of the campaign unless García picks up an injury.
With the World Cup looming and his international ambitions hanging in the balance, the 31-year-old desperately needs regular minutes to maintain his position in the German national team setup.
Girona showing concrete interest
While ter Stegen hasn’t made any public statements with 20 days still remaining in the transfer window, behind the scenes, the wheels are in motion. Girona have already made their interest crystal clear, reaching out to Barcelona to express their desire to bring the keeper across Catalonia.
However, there’s a massive spanner in the works - ter Stegen’s astronomical wages. The Montilivi outfit simply can’t afford to take on his full salary package, presenting a significant obstacle to any potential deal.
Barcelona willing to chip in
Barcelona have indicated they’re prepared to cover a substantial portion of ter Stegen’s wages to facilitate a move, though formal negotiations haven’t kicked off yet for one simple reason - the German hasn’t made his decision. Or if he has, he hasn’t communicated it to the Blaugrana brass.
The club is essentially waiting for ter Stegen to show his hand. Should he express a desire to leave, Barcelona will prioritize talks with Girona - currently the only club that has formally declared interest in a loan deal for the remainder of the season.
Everyone playing it cool
Meanwhile, ter Stegen has traveled to Jeddah for the Supercopa final, and all parties are treading carefully. When Girona manager Míchel was questioned about the potential signing on Friday, he deftly dodged the question, stating: “I can’t talk about players who aren’t here.”
With the transfer window closing in three weeks, this potential Catalan keeper swap remains very much up in the air.