Barcelona speeds up search for new club for Ter Stegen: negotiations with Ajax under threat. Barcelona is trying to negotiate the early departure of Marc-André ter Stegen. Talks with Ajax have become complicated, and the club is looking for alternatives. The German goalkeeper is in no hurry to decide on a new team.
Tension is mounting in Barcelona over the future of Marc-André ter Stegen. The club's management is determined to complete his departure by the end of June to free up the wage bill and speed up the squad's restructuring. However, negotiations with Ajax, seen as the main destination for the German goalkeeper, have stalled due to the Dutch club's financial difficulties.
According to Spanish media, Barcelona has already offered ter Stegen to terminate his contract or leave on loan with partial salary compensation, as was the case with Girona. But the German goalkeeper, whose contract runs until 2028 and includes a high salary, is not willing to agree to terms that do not reflect his status. The option for a free transfer has been rejected by both sides.
Ajax, which recently changed its coach and sporting director, considered ter Stegen a priority target. However, the club ran into trouble agreeing on the financial terms of the deal. As negotiations dragged on, Amsterdam began to consider an alternative—experienced Swiss goalkeeper Yann Sommer, who left Inter and is available as a free agent. If Ajax reaches a deal with Sommer, the way for ter Stegen to move to the Netherlands will be closed.
While the situation remains uncertain, Barcelona is simultaneously negotiating the sale of Ansu Fati to Monaco and speeding up the departure of several players from the reserve team. The goalkeeper is in no rush to make a decision and intends to begin preseason training with the Catalans to stay in shape and wait for a suitable offer. According to Italian and Dutch sources, Ter Stegen is not considering options in exotic leagues and is prioritizing sporting level and family comfort.
Several clubs in Spain have already shown interest, but no concrete offers have been made yet. The situation resembles the recent story with Marcus Rashford, when Barcelona also failed to complete the transfer as initially planned — details on how the Catalans refused to buy out the striker.
For reference: Marc-André ter Stegen has played for Barcelona since 2014 and is considered one of the club's key players in recent years. His contract runs until 2028, which complicates any talks about an early departure. In recent seasons, Ajax has been actively refreshing its lineup and is looking for an experienced goalkeeper after changes in the coaching staff. Yann Sommer, considered as an alternative, previously guarded the goals for Bayern and Inter, and his move could become one of the key transfers of the summer in the Netherlands.
