Ter Stegen's Labyrinth

Ter Stegen finds himself in a real maze. Accustomed to being a heavyweight on the pitch and in the Barcelona locker room, the German has lost his stripes. Officially, he remains the team's captain and will remain so for as long as he remains on the team. But he already knows that his role this season could end up being residual if he doesn't change teams. This was feared from the moment the welcome drums for Joan Garcia began to sound at the end of the La Liga season , and Blaugrana coach Hansi Flick confirmed it last Thursday.

The coach was crystal clear. The coach and the club are betting on Joan Garcia as a starter while Szczesny starts as a substitute. The veteran Polish goalkeeper has just renewed his contract for one season with an optional second. Flick didn't want to deceive him or give his compatriot false hopes.

But both the coach and sporting director, Deco, and the president, Joan Laporta, are aware that Ter Stegen is no ordinary player. He is one of the most important goalkeepers in Barça's history and has been with the club since 2014.

That's why they don't want to put additional pressure on him. They've told him what's up, and now the hot potato is in the goalkeeper's hands.

The club believes Ter Stegen, who is under contract with Barcelona until June 2028, has the right to fight for a starting spot in a key year for reaching the World Cup. But they also believe his lack of playing time could lead him to decide to leave, especially knowing that Julian Nagelsmann, the Germany coach, is counting on him. "If he wants to go to the World Cup, he has to leave Barça and play," former player Lothar Matthäus told the newspaper Bild .

Flick already informed the captain on Thursday that his bet is Joan Garcia and the club will not apply extra pressure.

Meanwhile, Ter Stegen has begun preseason holed up inside the gym. He didn't train with his teammates in the first, second, or third training session.

There's no medical report or anything like that. Unofficially, the club suggests he's been working on the sidelines as a precaution due to back pain. Ter Stegen suffered a serious knee injury early last season and has been struggling with fitness for several seasons now. At 33, he needs to take special care of himself if he wants to regain his best form.

The truth is that as of July 16, Barcelona has a clear overbooking in goal. Four goalkeepers are on the roster, but only two are registered, namely the aforementioned Ter Stegen and Iñaki Peña, who is also not counted on, and that is another case that needs to be resolved sooner rather than later. But for now, neither Joan Garcia nor Wojciech Szczesny are registered because the club is overbooked, as usual, in terms of financial fair play .

Ter Stegen's departure, in this sense, would be important for registering his replacements and also for bringing in a winger like Marcus Rashford on loan.

The summer and transfer window are long, and for now, Deco is conveying calm and confidence on the matter. There could be other sales if Ter Stegen doesn't sign players, although Ronald Araújo's buyout clause is back to €1 billion today, having been €60 million between July 1 and 15.

Galatasaray has shown interest in Ter Stegen, who needs playing time to play in the World Cup.

One of the main obstacles for the German to leave is his salary. Few clubs can afford it, and options such as a loan, a free transfer, or Ter Stegen deciding to lower his salary would be considered. As far as Barça knows, there is still no firm offer for the goalkeeper, but reports from Turkey insist that Galatasaray is very interested in signing him. Iñaki Peña, who has a contract until June 30, played on loan with the Istanbul club in 2022. The Alicante native, having lost Flick's confidence in January, is waiting for an offer that guarantees him playing time as much as possible. True to his philosophy, he doesn't intend to cause any controversy. The club is open to negotiating with him to leave on a free transfer.