Barcelona captain attracting Saudi Arabia interest amidst uncertain future | OneFootball

Marc-Andre ter Stegen arrived at Barcelona over a decade ago and earned himself the title of a regular starter two seasons later. Since then, his position as the team’s first-choice goalkeeper has seldom been questioned.

As relayed by AS, however, the German’s situation has now changed. With Hansi Flick holding the squad up to a standard higher than ever before, there is a sense of acceptance that the player may be far from his best and not good enough to start for Barcelona.

He will have a chance in pre-season to demonstrate his quality and earn the manager’s trust, but it is clear that his future is uncertain for the first time in close to a decade.

Ter Stegen is aiming to serve as Germany’s first-choice goalkeeper in the next World Cup and thus seeks guaranteed playing time, something Barcelona refuse to confirm unless he proves himself.

Saudi Arabia interest in Ter Stegen

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

If the Barcelona captain feels he may be a backup option for Flick, he may well leave the club as he prioritises playing at a high level until the mega tournament. The issue, however, is that he no longer has as many suitors as he did a few years ago.

The only offers for Ter Stegen now stem from Saudi Arabia. With his price and form having dropped after recurrent surgeries, the player thus does not have a lot of options to choose from.

As it stands, the player is not considering leaving the club before the end of his contract in 2028 and is committed to winning the manager’s trust.

What is clear, however, is that he is no longer as safeguarded as he was a few seasons ago.

It remains to be seen how strongly the Catalans push for a new signing this summer in the goalkeeping department and it could well come down to Wojciech Szczesny’s decision of accepting the club’s offer.

Even in that case, however, there is nothing that suggests the German is better placed than the Pole.