La Liga club split internally over January move for Barcelona captain | OneFootball

With the January transfer window now in force, Girona find themselves at the centre of an internal debate involving one of Barcelona’s most high-profile players. 

According to SPORT, the Catalan club has already begun exploring the possibility of bringing in Marc-Andre ter Stegen, but the idea is not being viewed the same way across all levels of the club.

From Girona’s sporting department, club executives believe that securing a goalkeeper of Ter Stegen’s level could be a major boost for the second half of the season. 

Before taking things any further, the club wanted clarity on one key issue, which is the German’s fitness. 

That concern has now been addressed, with full confidence that the Barcelona keeper has recovered completely from his back issues.

So what’s the problem?

With the medical aspect no longer a problem, Girona’s sporting director Quique Carcel reportedly considers Ter Stegen an absolute priority and believes the club should push hard for a loan move if the player shows openness to the idea. 

However, the situation becomes more complicated when looking at the coaching side. 

The Girona coach has different priorities right now. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)

Head coach Michel has publicly acknowledged that a player of Ter Stegen’s stature would naturally strengthen any squad. 

Privately, though, the Girona manager is said to be far more concerned about reinforcing the defence, particularly at centre-back, where he feels the squad needs urgent support.

At present, Michel is believed to have full trust in current goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga. 

While he recognises the value Ter Stegen would bring, the coach is wary of committing a large part of Girona’s limited January budget to a single position. 

His preference is to spread resources in a way that addresses what he sees as the team’s most pressing weaknesses.

As things stand, Girona’s interest in the Barcelona goalkeeper is real, but not without internal tension.