Marc-Andre ter Stegen’s future at Barcelona remains one of the most complex issues the club must resolve before the summer window closes.
After a loan spell at Girona that came to nothing, ter Stegen has been recently linked with a move to Ajax. However, a potential move to the Netherlands has already hit a stumbling block.
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The German goalkeeper is not in Hansi Flick’s plans for next season, just as he was not last season, leaving the club’s sporting directorate searching for a workable solution to a situation that is becoming increasingly difficult to navigate.
Ajax interested but financially limited
Ter Stegen’s salary is becoming a problem. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)
According to MARCA, a door appeared to open when Michel was appointed as the new Ajax head coach.
The manager had already signed Ter Stegen to Girona last season and has the goalkeeper in mind as a potential reinforcement at his new club, where the goalkeeping position is identified as a priority area to strengthen.
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However, ter Stegen’s salary exceeds €15 million per season, a figure that is completely out of Ajax’s reach.
The Dutch club could realistically offer a similar contribution to what Girona paid during his loan last season, approximately €1 million, making a straightforward deal virtually impossible without significant intervention from Barcelona.
Barcelona’s preferred outcome
Ajax can’t afford to sign ter Stegen. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)
While Barcelona would be willing to subsidise the majority of his wages on another loan, the club would much rather find a permanent solution to avoid repeating the same negotiation cycle every summer.
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The problem is that Ter Stegen’s persistent injury record over the past two years makes any club reluctant to commit to a significant transfer fee or absorb his full salary permanently.
Those doubts exist at Ajax too. The Dutch club are interested but not prepared to rush into a decision given the uncertainty surrounding his physical condition.
With his contract running until 2028, Barcelona’s ter Stegen problem is not going away anytime soon.
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