Barcelona will not force club heavyweight’s exit; Deco to speak with player soon | OneFootball

Earlier today, reports emerged claiming that Barcelona were now one step closer to securing the signing of Joan Garcia, after reaching an agreement in principle over a five-year contract with the Espanyol star.

With that done, the next step will be for the Blaugrana to pay his €25 million release clause and make the transfer official.

There is no doubt that the biggest affected party by Garcia’s imminent signing is club captain and current No. 1 Marc-Andre ter Stegen.

While the German international insisted he is not affected by the speculations and the developments surrounding Garcia, he could lose his starting spot next season.

With Wojciech Szczesny also set to renew his contract and continue, the situation could get messy.

Barcelona will not force Ter Stegen to leave

As such, SPORT reports that in the coming days, Barcelona will sit down with Ter Stegen to clarify the club’s plans. Joan Garcia, the main goalkeeping investment, is expected to take priority, but Barça will not push Ter Stegen out if he wishes to stay.

Hansi Flick is being given tools to create more competition in goal, and Ter Stegen will still have the chance to fight for minutes. The decision will ultimately be his.

What does the future hold for Ter Stegen? (Photo by Denis Doyle/Getty Images)

Barcelona’s sporting director Deco is currently away and will not take any steps regarding Ter Stegen until Garcia’s transfer is 100% finalised.

Once that happens, Deco will present the goalkeeping plan to the captain, explaining that Garcia is here to stay and that Szczesny will renew for one more season. If Ter Stegen wants to explore other options, he will be allowed to do so – but he is also free to continue.

The 33-year-old is under contract until 2028, and his high salary makes any potential transfer extremely difficult. Few clubs in Europe could afford him, and Barcelona would still ask for a transfer fee.

Ter Stegen, for his part, has already made it clear that he intends to stay. So far, no one from the club has informed him otherwise, and he is firmly opposed to the idea of leaving.The German’s plan is to be at full fitness for pre-season and assess the situation.

If discussions with Flick and Deco suggest he is set to lose his place, a mutually agreed exit could become a possibility. At present, though, neither Ter Stegen nor his camp are considering this outcome.