Barca Universal
·8 Juli 2025
Barcelona captain convinced he is better than new arrival and can be the first-choice

In partnership with
Yahoo sportsBarca Universal
·8 Juli 2025
With the start of the pre-season on the horizon, the goalkeeping department at FC Barcelona is set for a shake-up in the coming days.
Barça roped in Joan Garcia from RCD Espanyol as their first signing of the summer, and on Monday, they officially announced that Wojciech Szczesny had signed a two-year contract until 2027.
With Marc-Andre ter Stegen and Inaki Pena still on the books, Hansi Flick now has four first-team goalkeepers at his disposal, although both are seen as expendable by the club.
While Pena has accepted his fate and is assessing options for his future, Ter Stegen remains firm on continuing at the club.
Indeed, according to journalist Sique Rodriguez on DIRECTO GOL, Ter Stegen believes that he is better than Barcelona’s new signing Joan Garcia.
As such, the 33-year-old veteran is convinced that if he stays put, he will be the first-choice goalkeeper under Flick.
Refusing to leave. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)
As far as Barça are concerned, the plan is for Garcia to take over the reins as the starting goalkeeper in the team in the upcoming season, with Szczesny as his backup.
The La Liga champions remain insistent on wanting to offload Ter Stegen, who still has three years left on his contract. Parting ways with him would be a big boost in terms of Fair Play, considering his high salary.
But, so far, Ter Stegen has been unwilling to consider the possibility of a departure. And, as mentioned above, he is confident that if he stays and fights for his place, he will reclaim the No. 1 position in the team.
With pre-season set to start on Sunday, the 33-year-old will report to the club facilities, which is when manager Flick is expected to sit down with him and explain the situation.
Whether Ter Stegen’s stance about his future changes after that meeting remains to be seen. For now, though, he remains convinced that he can continue to be Barcelona’s No. 1.
Langsung