Barcelona captain misses first pre-season session for individual training | OneFootball

Barcelona kicked off their pre-season training on Monday, July 14, but one key name was missing from the group session.

Marc-Andre ter Stegen, who has been at the centre of transfer rumours this summer, did not join his teammates on the pitch. Instead, the German goalkeeper stayed indoors, completing gym work due to minor discomfort.

As it turns out, there has been no official injury report from Barcelona. The club only released a short update confirming that Ter Stegen trained separately.

“Ter Stegen worked separately from the group, doing exercises in the gym,” read the statement from the club.

What happened to Ter Stegen?

According to SPORT, this is simply a precaution due to slight physical issues, not a serious injury.

Ter Stegen’s future has come into question after Barça signed Joan Garcia from Espanyol. The club sees Garcia as their new first-choice goalkeeper, with Wojciech Szczesny expected to arrive as the experienced backup.

Marc-Andre ter Stegen did not train with the squad. (Photo by Yasser Bakhsh/Getty Images)

In this situation, keeping Ter Stegen as a third-choice option is not realistic, either financially or competitively.

Ter Stegen is one of the club’s highest earners, and with the World Cup approaching, he will not want to spend a season on the bench.

Barcelona open to letting Ter Stegen leave

Despite this complicated scenario, Barcelona have been transparent with Ter Stegen. Last Friday, head coach Hansi Flick sat down with the German keeper to clarify the club’s position.

Barcelona do not want to force him out, given his importance over the last decade. However, they also understand that his role will now be different.

Ter Stegen has a contract until June 2028, including salary deferrals from previous seasons. He is not planning to terminate his deal easily, but he is open to listening to options.

The final decision will depend on whether he receives offers from other top clubs. However, the goalkeeper market in Europe is moving fast, and there are fewer and fewer positions available.