Marc-André ter Stegen Says He Will Stay at Barcelona Next Season

Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen has responded to recent rumors about his future. He says he plans to stay at the club next season, despite transfer reports linking Joan García with a move to Camp Nou.

WHAT HAPPENED?

This week, reports suggested Barcelona are close to signing Joan García from Espanyol. The 23-year-old is expected to become the team’s new first-choice goalkeeper. Such reports fueled talk that ter Stegen, who has been Barcelona’s starting goalkeeper for a decade, could lose his spot to García. When asked about the speculation after a Tuesday training session, ter Stegen said: “No one has spoken to me about this… [but] it doesn’t concern me too much. I know that I will be in Barcelona next year. For me the situation has not changed [in] principle. I’m very excited for next season.”

CHANGING OF THE GUARD AT BARCELONA?

Barcelona have focused on lowering the age of their squad and integrating younger players in recent years. Since Joan Laporta returned as president, several veterans have left the club, including Lionel Messi, Jordi Alba, and Sergio Busquets. Joan García, widely regarded as one of Spain’s most promising goalkeepers, could be the next in the door if he does join the Blaugrana. Reports claim head coach Hansi Flick is prepared to make García the No. 1 if he signs, which could consign ter Stegen to the bench. Ter Stegen, 33, has a contract that runs until 2028 but there are suggestions he may struggle for regular minutes should García arrive.

WHAT’S NEXT FOR TER STEGEN AND BARCELONA?

Barcelona finished the 2024-25 campaign in second place in La Liga, falling well short of Real Madrid at the summit. Ter Stegen, despite his injury issues in recent seasons, remained a regular, playing 31 league games and keeping 12 clean sheets. The team is now preparing for the new season, and their first match is expected to be in mid-August. Their closest rivals in the league standings, Atletico Madrid and Girona, were both fewer than five points away last season. The summer will be decisive as fans wait to see if Joan García will arrive at Barcelona and who will be the club’s starting goalkeeper going forward. Ter Stegen, however, has made his intentions clear: he intends to stay and fight for his place against whoever joins the squad.