The future of Marc-André ter Stegen is very much up in the air as we approach the January transfer window, and his Barcelona coach does not want to get involved in what will happen to the goalkeeper.
There
has been a lot of talk about a possible move away from Camp Nou for Ter Stegen, who rejected an exit from the club in the summer before having to undergo back surgery. He needs to play regular starting minutes in the second half of the season if he has any chance to be Germany’s starter in the World Cup, and that won’t happen at Barça with Joan Garcia firmly established as the club’s number one.
So it seems like an exit, even if just on loan, would be the best for Ter Stegen. Hansi Flick was asked about that possibility at a press conference on Monday, but the coach left the decision entirely up to the player.
“I think it’s his decision. We’ve talked about his situation and I have a lot of respect for Marc because he’s a great goalkeeper and personally a good person for the team. But in the end it’s his decision and he’s the one who has to decide, not me.”
Ter Stegen’s relationship with the coach and his teammates seems to be pretty healthy, but that is definitely not the case with the higher-ups at the club and especially the fanbase. Marc burned a lot of bridges in the summer and was rightfully stripped of the captaincy for his antics before trying to make some amends, but it’s hard to find a Barça fan who thinks he should stay at the club long-term.
An exit seems inevitable, either in January or the summer, but the latest reporting from Catalan media says Ter Stegen is not interested in leaving at all. It looks this soap opera might very well have a few more chapters before it’s over.
