Marc-Andre ter Stegen’s future beyond the current season remains uncertain, with Barcelona facing four possible routes when his loan at Ajax ends in June.
The Germany goalkeeper has impressed since joining Ajax, who are highly satisfied with his performances and have paid little towards his wages because Barcelona cover most of his salary.
Ter Stegen is due to return to Barcelona in June, when the Catalan club will need to decide how to plan 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 lack of clarity is understandable, with Barcelona’s position complicated by both his contract and the goalkeeping options already available to them.
According to Marca, the first issue for the club to consider is that ter Stegen has only one season remaining on his contract, which expires in June 2028. Barcelona therefore need to determine whether to retain him, seek another loan, sell him or negotiate an early termination.
Staying at Barcelona
Keeping ter Stegen would be difficult given the club’s plans for next season. Barcelona already have two high-level goalkeepers in Joan Garcia and Dominik Livakovic, while Wojciech Szczesny’s contract will expire and he is not expected to remain.
Joan Garcia is regarded as the undisputed first-choice goalkeeper. If ter Stegen were to stay, he would be competing for a place rather than returning as the established starter.
At the age of 34, the Germany international is unlikely to accept a reserve role, whether at Barcelona or elsewhere. That makes the arrangement unattractive to both player and club.
Another loan
A straightforward new loan is considered highly unlikely. There would be little logic in sending ter Stegen out again only for him to return to Barcelona in June 2028, when his contract ends.
One alternative would be to extend his deal before arranging another loan, but that is also viewed as impractical. Barcelona do not want to renew a contract carrying such a high salary, even if any extension involved a reduction. The cost would still be significant, particularly because ter Stegen is not part of Hansi Flick’s plans in either the short or long term.
A permanent transfer
A sale would be the ideal outcome for Barcelona, allowing them to bring in a transfer fee while removing a substantial wage commitment.
The difficulty is finding a club willing to pay a fee and take on ter Stegen’s gross salary, which is close to €20m. That appears unlikely, especially given Barcelona’s strong desire to move him on.
Ending the contract
Those factors point towards terminating the agreement as the most logical solution. Barcelona would need to negotiate with ter Stegen’s representatives over how much of his remaining salary he would give up in return for ending the contract.
It would be similar to the arrangement Joao Cancelo used to leave Al-Hilal and return to Camp Nou.
The negotiations would be complicated by ter Stegen’s wages, and his form at Ajax could prove decisive. If he continues performing at his current level, interested clubs may be more willing to recruit him. He remains Germany’s first-choice goalkeeper and there are clubs prepared to invest in signing him.
However, the situation would become more difficult if his performances decline or he suffers another injury.
