Barcelona’s management doesn’t want to miss out on the opportunity to sign at least one new player in place of Ter Stegen by exploiting his long-term injury. Therefore, sporting director Deco has developed a new plan to deal with the situation in a way that satisfies all parties.
It is assumed that the German goalkeeper will need at least four months to recover from his back injury, while an official statement stated that he will only need three months. Therefore, Barcelona cannot sign any player in his place.
Next week will be crucial in this matter, as Barcelona must submit a medical report to La Liga, accompanied by Ter Stegen’s signature, detailing the length of his absence.
According to Sport, Deco will meet with Ter Stegen in the coming days, and the Portuguese intends to assure the 33-year-old of two things. First, the club will be lenient with regard to his loan departure next January, confirming that Barcelona stands with him in achieving his ultimate goal of starting for Germany at the 2026 World Cup.
The second point is that the club will respect the player’s contract in all circumstances, even if he decides to leave. They will not force him to leave or deduct his huge salary. It is assumed that Deco’s statements of this nature will persuade Ter Stegen to sign the medical report.
At the same time, Ter Stegen is likely to continue as Barcelona captain next season, and the club has decided to leave the entire process to the players to choose a new captain through an election system, under the supervision of coach Hansi Flick.
Ultimately, Sport believes the situation is positive and that Ter Stegen will eventually sign the report, especially since his condition already requires a long absence. Furthermore, president Joan Laporta doesn’t want to rely on his absence to register Juan Garcia, as he believes the crisis will recur next January, which may further convince the German that the club isn’t currently against him.
