Barcelona superstar linked with shock move away from Camp Nou
Mundo Deportivo has claimed that Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen is wanted by Bayern Munich, PSG and Juventus.
The 27-year-old German is one of the club’s most important players. Having broken through at Borussia Monchengladbach, ter Stegen joined Barcelona in 2014.
For most of his first two seasons at the club, he was Claudio Bravo‘s backup. When the Chilean moved to Manchester City, ter Stegen was given a starting role at the club.
Over the last four years, he has steadily improved and is now arguably among the 3 best goalkeepers in the world. His reflexes, decision making and positioning are truly world-class.
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In fact, he’s been so good that Germany hardly noticed Manuel Neuer‘s long absence due to a fractured foot in 2017 and 2018. Even after the Bayern keeper’s return, ter Stegen has kept him on his heels.
It’s safe to say, that he’s one player Ernesto Valverde cannot afford to lose. Replacing him will be close to impossible, and incredibly expensive.
Given that he’s still very young for a goalkeeper, some of the biggest clubs in Europe are weighing up a move for him next year. Neuer’s contract at Bayern runs out in 2021, at which point he will be 35. Ter Stegen makes a sensible replacement, but the move seems unlikely after the duo’s public spat earlier this year over the starting spot in the German national team.
Gianluigi Buffon is still going strong at Juventus, but he is 41-years-old. The Old Lady of Turin are already searching for his replacement, and ter Stegen seems to be on top of their list.
Given that he’ll cost at least €100 million, it appears that Juve are ready to offload either Paulo Dybala or Adrien Rabiot to raise funds and avoid a breach of FFP regulations.
PSG already have 33-year-old Keylor Navas as starting keeper, and Alphonse Areola, who’s still only 26 and on loan at Real Madrid. Despite this, the French champions have made initial inquiries about a potential move for ter Stegen.
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Given that the German’s release clause stands at a massive €180 million, a move away from LaLiga seems highly implausible. Even though his contract expires only in 2022, Barca are set to negotiate a renewal next year to tie him down on a long term deal.