Sport reported that Ter Stegen has given his representatives the green light to enter negotiations with a major European club in preparation for a move this summer.
The German goalkeeper was excluded from Barcelona’s plans after the Catalan club concluded a deal to sign goalkeeper Juan Garcia from Espanyol for €25 million.
Despite Ter Stegen’s attempts to stay, he was surprised by Barcelona’s insistence on keeping Szczesny as a backup goalkeeper and Garcia as the starting goalkeeper, which will prevent him from playing for most of next season.
According to Sport, Ter Stegen is concerned that staying at Barcelona and remaining out of the squad would undermine his ultimate dream of participating in the 2026 World Cup as Germany’s starting goalkeeper.
Because of this, Ter Stegen has given initial approval to the idea of moving to Galatasaray, after the Turkish club tested the German goalkeeper’s representatives to gauge his opinion on the transfer.
Galatasaray plans to first agree on all financial details with Ter Stegen, then contact Barcelona to acquire the 33-year-old on a season-long loan, with an option to buy in the summer of 2026.
Ter Stegen’s contract with Barcelona still runs until the summer of 2028, but the club’s management is willing to do anything to get rid of the goalkeeper, including terminating his contract if necessary in exchange for paying him a full year’s salary.
It’s worth noting that Galatasaray is working on making major signings this summer, most recently signing Leroy Sané from Bayern Munich, while they are also continuing their attempts to acquire Victor Osimhen from Napoli.
