Barcelona captain says YES to shock transfer

Barcelona captain Marc-Andre Ter Stegen is on the verge of completing a loan to relegation-battlers Girona.

The Germany international has had a tumultuous few months in Catalunya. Ter Stegen returned from a long-term injury in the summer, but Barcelona had already decided that his services were no longer required.

Joan Garcia was signed from city rivals Espanyol and Wojciech Szczesny was handed a new contract, effectively demoting Ter Stegen to third choice. However, the 33-year-old was unwilling to simply leave his lucrative contract behind and tried to fight for his place.

Tensions eventually boiled over, resulting in Ter Stegen being briefly stripped of his captaincy. This state of affairs didn’t last long, though, because a new injury to the shot-stopper defused the awkward situation.

With a World Cup on the horizon, Ter Stegen has accepted that he needs to leave Barcelona to win back his spot as Germany’s No.1. A fresh injury threatened to derail this plan, but his exit from the reigning LaLiga champions is now taking shape.

Ter Stegen set for Girona

For a couple of weeks now, struggling LaLiga side Girona have been in talks with Barcelona to see if a loan move for Ter Stegen is possible. Dominik Livakovic has handed in a transfer request, leaving the Catalan minnows scrambling for a new goalkeeper.

City Football Group-backed Girona qualified for the Champions League and mounted a brief title challenge in 2024, but they are now battling against the drop. They are currently four points clear of the relegation zone.

According to reports in Spain and confirmed by Sky Germany, Ter Stegen’s move just an hour down the road from Barcelona is close to being completed. It is expected to be a straight six-month loan.

Some final details still need to be sorted, but it would take a major twist for this deal to collapse. Naturally, Girona will not be able to cover the entirety of Ter Stegen’s salary, but Barcelona are nevertheless happy to get a healthy chunk of expenses off the books.

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