Barcelona's goalkeeper recruitment is at an impasse: Garcia's signing is imminent, but Ter Stegen refuses to step down [xueting]
2025-06-11
On June 11th Beijing time, according to AS, Barcelona plans to officially sign Espanyol goalkeeper Garcia on Wednesday and is willing to pay him a release clause of 25 million euros. However, this deal has become particularly complicated due to Ter Stegen's tough stance.
Ter Stegen, now 33 years old, has just performed well in the UEFA Nations League and is regarded as one of the best players of the German team. He recently returned to Barcelona and plans to hold talks with the club president Laporta and the new coach Flick, clearly expressing his unwillingness to make way for the new goalkeeper. His firm stance undoubtedly adds resistance to Barcelona's transfer plan.
Barcelona is not reluctant to admit that they hope to promote a renewal of the goalkeeper position. Compared with the in-form 24-year-old Garcia, Ter Stegen's age, contract status and injury history are all regarded as "variables that cannot be ignored". He still has two years left on his contract with Barcelona and has undergone two knee surgeries and one back surgery. The club's top management regards the signing of Garcia as a strategic deal with a future-oriented perspective rather than a short-term move.
But Ter Stegen has no intention of accepting the "stepping back" script. Not only because of his stable performance on the field, but also because of his high regard for the goalkeeper position of the German national team. He needs stable playing time for the club to solidify his position in the national team. And this point will also become the most crucial focus of the conversation between him and the head coach Flick. It is worth noting that Flick has a close relationship with Ter Stegen and has previously successfully persuaded Gundogan to join Manchester City through personal communication.
The negotiations are bound to be no easy task - Barcelona is determined to stick to its transfer plan, and Ter Stegen won't give in an inch. The only uncertainty might come from the upcoming internal negotiations. Once Flick leans towards supporting signings and determines that Ter Stegen cannot fit into his system, the situation could undergo a fundamental shift.
In addition, AS also revealed that Laporta went to Munich last weekend to watch the UEFA Nations League final on site and had a private exchange with UEFA President Aleksandar Ceferin to discuss the possible penalties Barcelona might face for violating the Financial Fair Play regulations. This background also makes Barcelona more urgent to deal with the issue of high-paying players, and Ter Stegen is among them.