Marca reports that Barcelona may terminate Ter Stegen’s contract next summer.
Ter Stegen's future remains uncertain. The Barcelona goalkeeper is currently on loan at AFC Ajax, where he has performed well this season. AFC Ajax is pleased with his performances, and he has cost the club very little, as Barcelona is covering most of his salary.
The question is what will happen in June, when his loan expires and he must return to Barcelona, who will then have to start planning for the 2027/28 season. "It's only November now, so I really can't say what will happen in the summer," the goalkeeper said in an interview with Sport Bild this week. His uncertainty about his future is understandable, given how complex the situation will be by then.
Available Options
The 1st thing to consider is that he has only 1 season left on his contract. Ter Stegen’s contract with Barcelona expires in June 2028, leaving all parties with a final decision to make. The sporting department has several options to consider: keep the goalkeeper and have him compete for a place; loan him out for another season; renew his contract and then loan him out; sell him to another club; or terminate his contract and let him leave as a free agent.
Staying at Barcelona
The 1st option is not straightforward. Next season, the team will already have 2 high-quality goalkeepers: Joan García and Dominik Livakovic. Wojciech Szczęsny will leave when his contract expires. There is no place for Marc Ter Stegen, as Joan García is the undisputed starter, and the German goalkeeper would only stay if he could play. At 34, he will not accept a place on the bench, whether at Barcelona or elsewhere. Neither the club nor the player would welcome that scenario.
Another Loan
Another loan has also been all but ruled out. There would be little point in loaning him out only for him to return when his contract expires in June 2028. 1 possible option would be to renew his contract before loaning him out, but that would make little sense. Barcelona does not want to extend his contract, given his extremely high salary. Even if the club were to offer him significantly less than his current wage, the cost would still be high, particularly from a sporting perspective: Flick does not include him in his plans, either in the short or long term.
Selling the Goalkeeper
For Barcelona, selling him to another club would be the ideal solution. Bringing in a transfer fee and saving on his salary would undoubtedly be a perfect outcome for the Catalan club. The question is whether anyone would be willing to pay a fee and cover the goalkeeper’s annual pre-tax salary of nearly 20M euros. That seems unlikely, especially given Barcelona’s eagerness to get rid of Marc Ter Stegen.
Contract termination
Therefore, all signs point to Barcelona moving towards the final option: terminating the contract. This seems the most reasonable solution. The club must sit down with the goalkeeper’s agent and discuss how to resolve the issue. Simply put, that means negotiating how much of his salary the player is willing to waive in exchange for his freedom. Barcelona took the same approach when Cancelo left Al-Hilal to join Camp Nou.
This will be a complex negotiation because of his very high salary. Much will depend on Ter Stegen’s performances at AFC Ajax this season. If he maintains his current form, things will be much easier, as there will be suitors. Let’s not forget that he is Germany’s starting goalkeeper, and some clubs will be willing to invest in signing him. If his performances decline or he suffers another injury, problems will arise.