Marc-André ter Stegen’s future is on its way to becoming a hot topic within Barcelona during the winter transfer window, with increasing speculation about his possible departure on loan in an effort to get enough playing time to secure a place in the German national team’s squad for the World Cup, which will be held in the United States, Mexico, and Canada next summer.
Despite the presence of three high-level goalkeepers in the Catalan team, it seems that Hans Flick has settled on Juan Garcia as the first-choice goalkeeper, which may prompt the German goalkeeper to seriously consider taking a new step to maintain his international status.
According to the latest Spanish press reports, Girona is the most likely club to sign Ter Stegen, due to the suffering the team is facing in the goalkeeper position; Paulo Gazzaniga has not succeeded in convincing the technical staff, while things seem complicated for Dominik Livaković.
Talk of this deal increased during the Catalan Football Federation awards ceremony, where Michel, Girona’s coach, received the refereeing committee award, and was asked a direct question about his interest in the German goalkeeper.
The coach responded with a smile accompanied by a Catalan phrase that sparked laughter from the attendees: “No pot ser!” (“It can’t be!”), in an expression of surprise without explicit denial, according to the Catalan newspaper “Sport”.
Moments later, Michel emphasized his appreciation for Ter Stegen’s value, saying: “He is a top-level player, and any team would wish to have him.”
The scene became even more exciting with the presence of Rafa Yuste, Barcelona’s vice president, who in turn was asked a similar question by the presenters of the ceremony, Gerard Romero and Victor Navarro, with a sarcastic attempt to give him a pen to sign the deal live on air.
Yuste did not reveal anything, but wished Michel success and expressed his confidence in Girona’s ability to finish the season in the top flight.
Michel stressed that his full focus is on the upcoming challenges for his team, acknowledging the difficulty of the current stage: “This month is crucial for us. 2025 has not started as we want, but the confidence from the club means a lot, and I am proud to lead this team.”
