Marc-André ter Stegen at FC Barcelona: Captain and yet only third choice?

"Well, nobody has spoken to me," said Marc-André ter Stegen when asked about his situation at FC Barcelona during a DFB press conference before the Nations League matches. At that time, rumors were already intensifying that his club was not planning on using him as their first-choice goalkeeper and were interested in signing Joan García, the number one at Espanyol Barcelona. Since Wednesday, it has been clear: these rumors are the new bitter reality for Marc-André ter Stegen: The 24-year-old García is joining the Blaugrana for over 25 million euros. The contract is expected to be signed on Friday. A few weeks earlier, Wojciech Szczęsny's contract was already extended. This means that FC Barcelona - as of now - has three top-level goalkeepers at its disposal for the new season. The signals seem clear: ter Stegen is to go.

The partnership between Marc-André ter Stegen and FC Barcelona was a long and successful one. The then 22-year-old moved from Borussia Mönchengladbach to Catalonia in the summer of 2014. For the first two years, he had to share the goalkeeping position with rival Claudio Bravo, but since 2016, ter Stegen has been FC Barcelona's undisputed first-choice goalkeeper for eight years, consistently performing at a top level.

But then the goalkeeper suffered a serious injury last fall and was out for most of the season. Barça reacted quickly and brought Wojciech Szczęsny back from retirement. The Pole had essentially called time on his career after his contract with Juventus ended. After two months of settling in, during which Szczęsny caught up on his lack of training, he was back in goal in January of this year and has impressed ever since – so much so that some fans demanded he remain the number one even after ter Stegen's return.

That's exactly how it turned out: The German only played twice in the league in the final stretch of the season, having to watch the Clásico against Real Madrid and the Champions League semi-finals, among others. According to the Spanish newspaper Sport, ter Stegen was particularly disappointed by the latter decision of his head coach Hansi Flick. Out of frustration, he reportedly stayed in Barcelona instead of accompanying his team to the return leg in Milan. Unsurprisingly, this did not go down well with Flick and the club's management.

The now-announced signing of Joan García was already circulating as a rumor during the Nations League Final Four. After the German national team's 2-0 defeat to France, national coach Julian Nagelsmann spoke about ter Stegen's situation at Barça in an interview with RTL: "Given the past of the protagonists, I hope he receives information about what's going on." So far, Nagelsmann's wish has apparently not been granted. According to the Spanish newspaper Mundo Deportivo, Hansi Flick still hasn't spoken to ter Stegen about his situation. Víctor Font, the former candidate for club president and long-time critic of Barça president Joan Laporta, is harshly critical of his beloved club. In an interview with Catalunya Radio, he even referred to the club's treatment of its long-time first-choice goalkeeper as "bullying."

If Hansi Flick does indeed prefer García and Szczęsny, it wouldn't be the first time he'd decided against the Mönchengladbach native. As Germany's national coach, he, like his predecessor Joachim Löw, preferred Manuel Neuer at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. And when Flick took over as coach in Barcelona last summer, he brought in Toni Tapalović, a self-proclaimed Neuer pal, to his team. Beyond the Flick personnel issue, however, there is also speculation that the Catalans are looking to part ways with their long-time number one, primarily for financial reasons.

Ultimately, the overall situation for ter Stegen is one thing above all: bitter. He was named captain of Barcelona just two years ago, and his contract runs until 2028. It's clear that he can't afford to spend a season as a reserve, as his long-desired starting place at the DFB would likely be quickly gone. The solution is clear: a transfer – Galatasaray are said to be interested in the goalkeeper. Whether a starting place in Istanbul will be enough to maintain his status as Germany's number one is questionable – but the prospects there certainly seem better than the option of a seat in the stands in Barcelona.