Official: Barcelona announce the departure of club captain Marc-Andre Ter Stegen | OneFootball

It has been clear for quite some time that FC Barcelona captain Marc-Andre Ter Stegen needed to leave the club and move elsewhere for regular game time as he looks to rebuild match fitness after long injury lay-offs.

Joan Garcia has taken over his place as the number one in Hansi Flick’s plans and has been playing at a very high level. Ter Stegen, meanwhile, is not getting any younger, and it makes sense for Barcelona to look to the future.

Girona have been interested in signing Ter Stegen on loan, and discussions have been ongoing for a few weeks.

Now, Barcelona have officially announced that their club captain has left on loan and will be playing for Girona until the end of the season. There is no buy option involved.

Ter Stegen has been at the club for more than a decade and has enjoyed both memorable and not-so-memorable moments in between the posts. He has also had the privilege of wearing the armband, albeit briefly.

Although Barcelona would have preferred a clean break, Ter Stegen is a high earner and such a transfer might not have been possible in January. Thus a loan deal makes the most sense for the player and the clubs.

It remains to be seen how Ter Stegen performs for Girona, where he is expected to get regular minutes, and whether the injury issues that have plagued him can stay away for the foreseeable future.