Barcelona captain’s hefty salary a concern for La Liga club amid January interest | OneFootball

As 2025 draws to a close, Marc-Andre ter Stegen is facing a crucial few weeks ahead as he looks to seal a January loan exit from Barcelona.

Securing regular game-time during the second half of the season, after all, could be imperative for the Barcelona star if he is to play the FIFA World Cup 2026 with Germany.

Although recent reports suggest Ter Stegen is happy to remain at Barcelona, Girona have emerged as a potential suitor for the German international.

Girona ready to sign Ter Stegen on one condition

A recent report from SPORT has offered some perspective on Girona’s pursuit of ter Stegen heading into the January transfer window.

The report suggests Girona are indeed interested in the services of the Barcelona club captain. However, the club are not in a position to afford his hefty salary.

Therefore, a loan move will only be possible if Barcelona are willing to pay a chunk of his salary.

Will Ter Stegen leave Barcelona in January? (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)

Keeping that in mind, Girona view the ter Stegen option as very complicated at the moment. But the Catalan outfit to refusing to rule out anything heading into the January window.

This comes after reports that claimed Girona are ready to go all out to sign Ter Stegen in January, as the German could be an ideal competitor for Paulo Gazzaniga.

Ter Stegen, for his part, might fancy a January move to Girona so that he can secure regular game-time during the second half of the season, which is a key necessity for German coach Julian Nagelsmann.

Ter Stegen, after all, is facing stiff competition from Oliver Baumann for the German number one spot.

Hence, if he keeps rotting on the Barcelona bench, he might not even make it to the German team that will travel to North America for the World Cup next summer.