Barcelona star Marc-Andre ter Stegen faces a crunch call on his future for both club and country in the coming weeks.
The Germany international has come back into sharp focus this month following a decision to undergo surgery on a persistent back injury.
Ter Stegen announced himself announced the update, and in the process, stated he will be out of action for three months. That move has angered Barcelona officials, who are hoping the Germany international is out for at least four, as that would allow them to register Joan Garcia with La Liga.
Barcelona activated a similar rule last season following a previous injury with Wojciech Szczesny signed as emergency cover.
However, this time around Barcelona officials believe Ter Stegen deliberately set three months as his return timeline so the club cannot use 80% of his salary to register a replacement, and it has led to their relationship deteriorating further.
Garcia’s arrival and an overall cooling of relations between Ter Stegen and the club appears to have put him on the exit ramp this summer.
Barcelona face Ter Stegen captaincy call
Ter Stegen could also be stripped of his position as club captain, and according to Diario Sport, a decision on this will be made just before the start of the 2025/26 La Liga season.
However, an ongoing row at club level is just one feature of the controversy, as a three month absence will see him miss the majority of Germany’s 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification campaign.
Ter Stegen has finally been established as No.1 for Germany, following Manuel Neuer’s international retirement, with Julian Nagelsmann backing him to step up next summer.
Despite his assurances of remaining first-choice for Germany, if Ter Stegen has no role at Barcelona, Nagelsmann will not bring him back into the starting XI in November.
Reports from German outlet Bild claim Ter Stegen ‘must leave’ Barcelona before the summer transfer window to avoid his World Cup dream being shot down.
