Barcelona may not get much financial relief from club captain’s Ajax move | OneFootball

Marc-Andre ter Stegen’s FC Barcelona exit is finally moving towards completion, with the German goalkeeper expected to travel to Amsterdam in the coming days.

The agreement between Barca and Ajax has reportedly been close for some time, but bureaucratic and tax-related issues delayed the final steps of the operation.

According to SPORT, citing Matteo Moretto, those remaining details are now largely resolved and Ter Stegen is preparing to complete his move to the Dutch club.

The 34-year-old has continued training normally with Barcelona while waiting for the deal to be finalised, including completing a double session at the Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper on Friday.

The move will be Ter Stegen’s second consecutive loan after his previous spell was heavily disrupted by injury.

Ajax coach Michel has admired the goalkeeper for a long time and values his leadership, experience, shot-stopping and ability to build play from the back.

For Ter Stegen, the sporting logic is obvious. Regular football is the priority, and Ajax can give him a prominent role at a club whose style should suit his strengths.

The move also allows Barcelona to finally bring some clarity to a complicated goalkeeping situation.

Barca will still carry most of the salary burden

The financial side is less ideal for the Blaugrana. The report says Barcelona will continue paying the majority of Ter Stegen’s salary during the loan.

That means the operation will not provide the kind of major wage relief the club may initially have hoped for.

Even so, there is still a sporting benefit. Keeping a high-profile goalkeeper without a clear role would have created unnecessary tension, while a loan gives Ter Stegen the chance to rebuild rhythm and value elsewhere.

From a Barca perspective, this is not a perfect exit, but it is a practical one.

Ter Stegen gets minutes, Ajax get an experienced goalkeeper, and Hansi Flick gains a cleaner hierarchy between the posts. After weeks of delays, the most important thing now is finally getting the operation over the line.