Barcelona captain could leave in January as enquiries made over loan move – report | OneFootball

In a major development, journalist Florian Plettenberg of Sky Germany has claimed that Barcelona captain Marc-Andre ter Stegen could leave the club in the winter transfer window.

The 33-year-old German international is currently recovering from a back surgery he underwent in the summer, which will keep him out until the end of the year.

Once he returns, however, Ter Stegen is unlikely to get much playing time at Barça, considering that Hansi Flick has firmly installed Joan Garcia as his first-choice goalkeeper since his arrival in the summer.

While Ter Stegen has always insisted on staying at Barcelona, not playing regularly in the second half of the season could cost him his No. 1 spot in the German national team for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

A loan exit now a possibility

As such, the aforementioned report states that an exit in the January transfer window is now a possibility for Ter Stegen and is no longer ruled out.

In fact, the report further claims that a loan move away from Barcelona could be an option for the goalkeeper, with several enquiries already being made.

Ter Stegen could leave on loan. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)

Ter Stegen’s contract with the Catalan giants runs until the summer of 2028, and it is unlikely that he will entertain the idea of a permanent departure, at least in the upcoming winter window.

But a temporary move away is now seen as a possibility, given that the former Borussia Monchengladbach has been warned that he must play regularly in order to retain his spot as Germany’s No. 1 at the World Cup next year.

Previous reports have suggested that Ter Stegen is on the radars of Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League. AS Monaco, despite being snubbed by him in the summer, remain attentive.

The ball is now firmly in Ter Stegen’s court, whose primary focus for now will be to fully recover from the back surgery, following which a decision over his future will be made.