Marc-André ter Stegen could change teams in Catalonia in the coming weeks. The German goalkeeper, who resides in Barcelona and does not intend to move far, is one of the options being considered by Girona to strengthen their goal. The Girona club, an hour's drive from the Catalan capital, is looking for urgent solutions after problems in goal and their delicate situation in the standings.
Girona needs reinforcements in goal and attack
Girona is in a relegation spot and is the fourth-lowest scoring team in the league, with only 15 goals. Oviedo has scored 7 goals, while Getafe and Rayo Vallecano have 13. The technical management, led by Quique Cárcel, considers it a priority to sign a goalkeeper who provides security and a forward who improves offensive recordsThe situation between the posts is especially delicate. Dominik Livakovic, signed after the serious injury to Juan Carlos Martín and coming from Fenerbahçe, did not even debut at Montilivi. Paulo Gazzaniga has established himself as the starter, and Vladyslav Krapyvtsov, the third goalkeeper, also suffered an injury, although he could be available by mid-January
Ter Stegen, an impossible target due to salary cost
Barça would not hinder a departure for Ter Stegen, at least for half a season. The Catalan club is looking to lighten its wage bill, as the goalkeeper's salary complicates compliance with financial fair play. **Some sources put Ter Stegen's annual salary at 16 million euros**, an unaffordable amount for Girona.
The Montilivi club, furthermore, is constrained by financial fair play and needs to allocate its resources across several positions. Girona cannot afford even half or a quarter of the German goalkeeper's salary. If the loan were to occur, Barça would have to continue covering the majority of the player's salary.
The Immediate Future of the Blaugrana Goalkeeping
Hansi Flick has appointed Joan Garcia as the new number one in Barça's goal. Ter Stegen, however, has not given up on competing for the starting position in the Copa del Rey and the Spanish Super Cup. The German goalkeeper's goal remains to be a starter in order to attend the World Cup, and he is not willing to give up on his contract, which extends until 2028 and has been progressively increasing.
Barça is considering a transfer or loan as a lesser evil to free up part of the wage bill for this campaign. In any case, the Barça club would have to continue assuming the majority of the salary if Ter Stegen ends up at Girona.
The situation remains open and is conditioned by the sporting and economic needs of both clubs. The outcome will depend on negotiation capacity and squad evolution in the coming weeks.