Ter Stegen explains why he chose Ajax after Barcelona departure

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·4. August 2026

Ter Stegen explains why he chose Ajax after Barcelona departure

After several unexpected delays, FC Barcelona have finally been able to complete the exit operation for the goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen, who has joined the Eredivisie side Ajax Amsterdam on a season-long loan.

The German goalie is now officially an Ajax player, and he will be spending his second consecutive season away from the Blaugrana club, after having joined Girona on another loan last year.

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As SPORT has reported, after officially completing his move to the Dutch club, the goalkeeper gave his first statements as an Ajax player to the club’s media. Ter Stegen expressed his excitement about starting this new chapter in his career, and also named some individuals who played a key role in this transfer:

“The best things take time. In the end, everything worked out well, and I’m happy to be here… When I first spoke with Jordi Cruyff, I immediately felt this was the right option. I know the coach and Daley Blind as well. I was able to speak with them about the project, and they were very convincing.”

Going forward, Ter Stegen had some clear objectives with his new club:

“We want to take Ajax back to the top. It is a club with enormous history and great international prestige. I’m confident it will be a good season.”

Meanwhile, the shotstopper also gave a positive update about his physical condition:

“At Barça, I started a little later than at Ajax, but I have been training since July 2. I’m in top shape and very happy to be back on the pitch and playing without any problems.”

The German goalie also thanked his Barcelona teammate Frenkie de Jong after the Dutch midfielder appeared in the video published by Ajax to welcome him:

“He’s my agent! Frenkie knows Amsterdam very well. He is always honest, and his words gave me a lot of peace of mind. It’s good to know I’m in good hands.”

With this operation successfully completed, all the involved parties can heave a sigh of relief. Despite most points of the transfer having been agreed several weeks ago, the issue of who would pay his taxes had kept the transfer from being completed earlier.

Now, Michel has his desired goalkeeper at his disposal, while Barcelona and Hansi Flick will continue to count on Joan Garcia and Wojciech Szczesny to defend their goal going into the next season.