Barcelona are in store for a busy summer, and one significant move that could be made would be long-serving goalkeeper Marc-Andre Ter Stegen depart. The 33-year-old is expected to be behind Joan Garcia and Wojciech Szczesny in the pecking order next season, and as such, an exit is expected.
Ter Stegen has made it clear that he has no desire to leave Barcelona, but with the World Cup taking place next summer, he needs to play regularly in order to guarantee himself as Germany’s number one for the tournament in North America.
And German icon Lotthar Mathaus has now had his stay on the matter when speaking to Sky Sports (via MD).
“He has come back in good shape after a long injury and has shown, especially in the Nations League against France, that he is still a world-class goalkeeper at 33 years of age. But (Joan Garcia) is nine years younger, he is already part of the Spanish national team and he is expected to be number one in the future.
“A club is in its right to say that they are betting on a younger goalkeeper for the future. In addition, he may have a lower salary. It is an unpleasant situation for (Ter Stegen), and I suppose he will leave Barcelona.”
Marc-Andre Ter Stegen backed for Manchester City move
Matthaus has backed Ter Stegen to join a club where he will be first-choice goalkeeper, and he believes that could happen in the Premier League.
“There are also six clubs in England that will play in the Champions League next season, and not all of them have a goalkeeper strong enough to say: ‘Ter Stegen would not be a reinforcement for us’. I don’t know what Manchester City are planning, but I don’t think they’re very happy with Ederson. I think Ter Stegen could definitely be a goalkeeper for the Citizens for the next three or four years.”
Manchester United have been credited with an interest in Ter Stegen, but a move across the city could make sense for the Barcelona goalkeeper. For now, he is set to remain in Catalonia, but things will surely change in the coming weeks.
