Barcelona veteran star’s loan departure could pick up pace amid La Liga interest | OneFootball

According to SPORT, Barcelona captain Marc-Andre ter Stegen’s very likely absence from the Copa del Rey starting line-up tonight could accelerate his departure, amid interest from Girona.

The 33-year-old German international finds himself in a tricky situation, having to choose between staying at Barça without playing and risking his spot in the national team for the World Cup, or leaving on loan in search of minutes.

Copa del Rey omission could speed things up

Now, according to the report, this Thursday could prove decisive for the future of Ter Stegen. Hansi Flick has practically made it clear that Joan Garcia will be the starting goalkeeper against Racing Santander at El Sardinero.

Another heavy blow for the German goalkeeper, who already watched the Spanish Super Cup from the bench, a competition in which he had hoped to play.

He saw the Super Cup and the Copa del Rey as good tests to determine whether he was part of Flick’s plans and whether he could remain at the club until the end of the season.

Next week also sees the return of the Champions League for Barcelona, with a match against Slavia Prague, but Joan Garcia remains the undisputed number one for European games as well.

On his way out? (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)

Although Ter Stegen got an opportunity to play in Guadalajara in the Round of 32 of the Copa del Rey, it was merely a reward after a long recovery – an isolated occurrence.

Therefore, if he does not play against Racing, the possibility of an exit could pick up pace. A loan move would be a temporary solution aimed, at the very least, at convincing Julian Nagelsmann ahead of the 2026 World Cup.

Girona waiting

The loan move viewed most favourably by all parties is to Girona. They are not a direct rival for Barcelona, the German would be guaranteed a starting role, and he could remain in Catalonia, something that appeals to him for family reasons.

However, Girona can only take on a very small part of the player’s salary, something Barcelona must evaluate.

Meanwhile, Girona coach Michel stated at the press conference ahead of the match against Espanyol that “we need a goalkeeper” due to the imminent departure of Dominik Livakovic.

He described a situation that would fit Ter Stegen, as they are looking either for players for the future or “others for six months of very high quality.”