Girona has reached a final agreement with Barcelona to sign goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen on loan until the end of the current season.
Negotiations between the promising Catalan club and ter Stegen began last December. The German goalkeeper remained hopeful of staying with Barça until his hopes were dashed in the 2016 Spanish Super Cup, leading him to decide to leave.
According to Mundo Deportivo, Barcelona agreed to Girona covering only 25% of ter Stegen’s salary to finalize the loan, reflecting Joan Laporta’s desire to offload the German goalkeeper, even temporarily.
Meanwhile, ter Stegen has fully agreed with Girona on one non-negotiable point: he will be the undisputed first-choice goalkeeper for all remaining matches of the season unless he is injured or suspended.
The 33-year-old hopes to return to his previous form and maintain consistent playing time, which would secure his place in Germany’s squad for the 2026 World Cup, as coach Julian Nagelsmann has already confirmed.
The loan agreement does not include an option to buy next summer, meaning Ter Stegen will inevitably return to Barcelona. This will likely trigger a dispute between him and the club’s management regarding the full value of his contract, which runs until the summer of 2028, in exchange for a transfer. Alternatively, he will remain at Barcelona even if he doesn’t play regularly.
