Barcelona are likely to negotiate the termination of Marc Ter Stegen’s contract next summer, according to Marca, with the goalkeeper’s future at the club increasingly uncertain.
The Germany international is currently on loan at AFC Ajax, where he has impressed this season. The Dutch club are satisfied with his performances and have incurred limited expense because Barcelona are paying most of his salary.
Ter Stegen’s loan will end in June, when he is due to return to Barcelona as the club begins planning for the 2027/28 season. The goalkeeper admitted he does not yet know where he will be playing.
“It’s only November now, so I really can’t say what will happen in the summer,” he told Sport Bild in an interview this week.
Barcelona have several possible routes to consider. Ter Stegen has only 1 season remaining on his contract, which expires in June 2028. The club could retain him, arrange another loan, extend his deal before sending him out again, sell him or agree to terminate the contract and allow him to leave as a free agent.
Limited role at Barcelona
Keeping Ter Stegen would not be a straightforward option. Barcelona are expected to have 2 high-quality goalkeepers next season in Joan Garcia and Dominik Livakovic, while Wojciech Szczesny will leave when his contract expires.
Joan Garcia is regarded as the undisputed first choice, leaving no clear role for Ter Stegen. At 34, the German is not expected to accept a reserve position, either at Barcelona or at another club. The situation would therefore be unsatisfactory for both the player and the club.
A further loan appears similarly unattractive. Sending Ter Stegen out for another season would mean he returned when his contract expired in June 2028. Barcelona could theoretically renew his deal before arranging another loan, but the club does not want to extend a contract carrying an extremely high salary.
Even a substantially reduced wage would remain costly, particularly because head coach Flick does not include Ter Stegen in his short-term or long-term plans.
Sale or contract agreement
A transfer would be Barcelona’s preferred outcome. The club would receive a fee while also removing the goalkeeper’s wages from its budget. However, it is unclear whether another side would pay a transfer fee and take on his annual pre-tax salary of nearly 20M euros.
That makes termination appear the most realistic solution. Barcelona would need to negotiate with Ter Stegen’s agent over how much of the remaining salary the player would be prepared to waive in return for being released. The club used a similar approach when Cancelo left Al-Hilal to join Camp Nou.
The negotiations could prove difficult because of Ter Stegen’s financial terms. His performances at AFC Ajax will be important. If he continues to play well, potential suitors are likely to emerge, particularly as he remains Germany’s starting goalkeeper.
A drop in form or another injury, however, would make the situation considerably more complicated.
