Marc-Andre ter Stegen’s future remains unresolved, with Barcelona facing four possible options once his loan at Ajax ends in June.
The Germany goalkeeper has impressed during his spell in the Netherlands, while Ajax are understood to be very pleased with his performances. The deal has also been financially favourable for the club, with Barcelona covering most of his wages.
Ter Stegen must return to Barcelona when the loan expires, leaving the club’s sporting department to decide how he fits into plans for the 2027/28 season.
“We are still in November, so I cannot speculate about what will happen in the summer,” Ter Stegen told Sport Bild this week.
His uncertainty is understandable, with Marca reporting that only one season remains on his Barcelona contract. His current agreement officially expires in June 2028, meaning the Catalan club will need to make a firm decision.
Four possible outcomes
The first option would be for Ter Stegen to remain at Barcelona. That would be difficult, however, because the club already expects to have two high-quality goalkeepers in Juan Garcia and Livakovic next season.
Wojciech Szczesny’s contract will expire and he is not expected to stay, but Juan Garcia is regarded as the undisputed first choice. If Ter Stegen remains, he would be competing for a place rather than guaranteed regular football.
At 34, Ter Stegen is unlikely to accept a role on the bench, whether at Barcelona or elsewhere. The arrangement would therefore suit neither the club nor the player.
A further loan is another possibility, although a straightforward extension of his temporary move is considered highly unlikely. It would make little sense for Barcelona to loan him out again only for him to return in June 2028, when his contract ends.
The club could renew his deal before sending him out on loan, but that option also appears impractical. Barcelona do not want to extend a contract carrying such a high salary. Even with a reduced figure, the cost would remain significant, particularly because Ter Stegen is not part of Hansi Flick’s plans in either the short or long term.
A permanent transfer would be the ideal solution for Barcelona. Selling Ter Stegen would generate a fee while also removing a substantial portion of his wages from the club’s budget.
The difficulty is finding a club willing to pay a transfer fee and meet his gross salary, estimated at about €20m. That looks unlikely, especially given Barcelona’s desire to move him on.
Contract termination
The most logical route may therefore be to negotiate an early termination of the contract. Barcelona would need to hold talks with Ter Stegen’s representatives over how much of his remaining salary he would be prepared to give up in return for leaving.
A similar agreement allowed Joao Cancelo to depart Al-Hilal and return to Camp Nou.
The negotiations would be complicated by Ter Stegen’s high wages, while the outcome could depend heavily on his performances for Ajax this season. If he maintains his current level, interested clubs may emerge. He remains Germany’s first-choice goalkeeper, and some clubs could be prepared to invest in signing him.
However, Barcelona’s position would become more difficult if his form declined or he suffered another injury.
