Ajax face criticism over signing Barcelona captain Ter Stegen: ‘He is always injured’ | OneFootball

Marc-Andre ter Stegen is on the verge of completing a move to Ajax, with the Barcelona goalkeeper set to join the Dutch giants in the coming days.

The German’s loan has been agreed, pending the medical he will undergo in Amsterdam, and he arrives with the intention of becoming Ajax’s starting goalkeeper.

However, Ajax’s decision to sign ter Stegen, albeit on a loan deal, has faced significant criticism in the Netherlands.

Dutch media slam the signing

As reported by SPORT, the operation has generated real controversy in the Netherlands, with several prominent voices questioning whether Ter Stegen is the answer to Ajax’s goalkeeping problems following a difficult year between the posts.

Ajax have signed ter Stegen on loan for cheap. (Photo by Eric Alonso/Getty Images)

Journalist Valentijn Driessen, a regular columnist for Telegraaf, said, “Now they bring in a goalkeeper who used to be good in the past, but they are not going to get anything out of this.”

Fellow pundit Johan Derksen pointed to ter Stegen’s persistent injury problems as a major red flag.

“He has defended a goal on three occasions in 22 months, he is always injured. At Ajax, they act as if they had won the lottery and with that background, I would doubt it a lot,” he said.

Despite the criticism, the move has the full backing of Ajax sporting director Jordi Cruyff and new coach Michel, who worked with ter Stegen during his loan spell at Girona.

Michel is convinced the goalkeeper can be an important figure for his project if he can stay clear of injuries, and Ajax will retain an option to sign him permanently should his performances warrant it.

A limited financial benefit for Barcelona

Barcelona will continue to shoulder majority of ter Stegen’s wages. (Photo by Eric Alonso/Getty Images)

While moving ter Stegen off the books represents progress for Barcelona, the financial relief is far from significant.

As previously reported, Barcelona will continue to shoulder the vast majority of the goalkeeper’s substantial salary, with Ajax only covering a portion of his wages.

To complicate matters further, the amount the Dutch club contribute is not fixed but instead tied to how many games Ter Stegen actually plays.

That arrangement means Barcelona will only see meaningful savings if ter Stegen features regularly and avoids the injury problems that have plagued him.

Should he suffer another setback, the club could find themselves paying almost the entirety of his wages for a player no longer even in Catalonia.