TA: Barcelona is willing to leave the team for free to release salary space. Saudi Arabia is not good. Veterans over 30 years old

TA wrote an article about the situation of Barcelona goalkeeper Ter Stegen. The team hopes to let the players leave the team to reduce salary pressure, but Ter Stegen's next home is not easy to find.

Barcelona's main signing work this summer is coming to an end, and the more difficult task is to ensure the departure of some players in order to make room for new players. As Barcelona's total salary has exceeded the cap set by La Liga, the club hopes to see some players leave before the transfer window is closed, and Ter Stegen is one of the top candidates to leave.

Telstegen turned 33 in April this year and experienced the toughest season of his career after a complete rupture of his right knee patellar tendon in September, making only nine appearances throughout the season. Given his age, Barcelona really needs to consider changing the main goalkeeper. Garcia, 24, is a top player and at a reasonable price, and many clubs are interested in him.

Behind this, there is another important financial factor that affects the situation in Terstegen. The German contract will last until 2028 and he is one of the club's highest-paid players. Current Chairman Laporta once said that the payroll accounted for 110% of total income at that time.

Telstegen renewed his contract with Barcelona during October 2020 to help the club balance the accounts, but also included a huge salary extension clause. Laporta inherited the high-deferred contract and contacted Terstegen's team in 2023 for a solution. Eventually, the German signed a new contract to spread his salary to more years.

Under the contract, Ter Stegen will receive a large salary in the next three years (basic salary is about 6.3 million euros, excluding bonuses and previously unpaid salaries). Club insiders revealed that Barcelona is very eager to remove his salary burden and even willing to let him leave the team for free. The club insists that the situation in Ter Stegen is more than just about salary. This year, Ter Stegen became Nagelsmann's first choice goalkeeper, replacing retired Neuer. He has the potential to become Germany's No. 1 goalkeeper at the World Cup next year, which is his long-standing dream. This could be jeopardized if he was a substitute goalkeeper at the club.

In addition, the club also mentioned that some of the remarks made by Ter Stegen in an interview with German media in April surprised them. Although he said he was "desire to play as soon as possible" and would "nodge his head coach Frick", club executives saw it as a way to put pressure on Frick's selection.

Meanwhile, Ter Stegen did not go to Milan to support the team's match against Inter in the second leg of the Champions League semi-finals, which made the club staff feel dissatisfied. Ter Stegen's team declined to comment. As Szczesny still registered as his emergency substitute, Ter Stegen was unable to play in the game. The injured defender Conde went to Milan alone to support his teammates.

Telstegen has a very clear position, he is determined to stay in Barcelona, ​​and he has settled down in his personal life and is ready to compete for the No. 1 goalkeeper position. His team said they had not received official news from the club about his situation and had no reason to believe he could not be the No. 1 goalkeeper again next season. Next, Ter Stegen is expected to have a candid conversation with Frick.

Barcelona plans to start pre-season training on July 13, when Frick and Ter Stegen are expected to meet. Sources close to the coach said Frick had a good understanding with Deco and had a very candid conversation on team planning. If Frick was clear about Gundogan last year, then he would be no exception to Ter Stegen.

However, it is hard to imagine that Ter Stegen can find a new destination that suits him as well as Gundogan joined Manchester City last year. He can't join another La Liga team. It is impossible to transfer to arch rival Real Madrid, and Atletico Madrid already has the best-paid No. 1 goalkeeper Oblak. La Liga rules also state that any free transfer player must receive at least 50% of their previous contract salary, meaning no Spanish club can match Ter Stegen's current contract.

Catalonian media suggests that the Saudi professional league may be a potential destination, but industry sources say the Saudi league does not prioritize players over the age of 30. In Germany, Bayern obviously won't consider Ter Stegen because he needs a substantial salary cut to join other German clubs. There are no obvious candidates in the Premier League to sign him.

GreesGames