Barcelona star admits coming close to Man City transfer | OneFootball

Barcelona captain Marc-Andre ter Stegen has revealed that face to face talks with Pep Guardiola almost took him away from Camp Nou and off to Manchester City.

Having made his name during three seasons as Borussia Monchengladbach starter, Ter Stegen was 22 years of age when he left Germany for Barcelona in 2014. But the Catalans also signed Claudio Bravo from Real Sociedad that same summer and the pair had to share game time.

Bravo got the nod in La Liga, while Ter Stegen played 21 times across the Champions League and Copa del Rey. The following campaign, he managed seven league appearances, but it was still a situation that left the younger goalkeeper frustrated and seriously exploring a transfer.

"We actually considered changing clubs," Ter Stegen told Bild, looking back on the summer of 2016, which was Guardiola's first as Manchester City boss.

"We even had a meeting in Barcelona. Pep flew over, and then we met at a friend's house. He explained his ideas to me and told me he would be joining Manchester City that summer and that he would love to have me. Pep really made an effort."

"I thought to myself, 'This could be the solution to my problem', and the plan they had at City seemed very interesting. Looking at the past few years, it worked out perfectly [for them]."

Ter Stegen didn't want to sit behind Claudio Bravo / Manuel Blondeau - Corbis/GettyImages

Ultimately, it was then Barcelona coach Luis Enrique who put an end to things by informing Ter Stegen that he wouldn't be allowed to leave.

"I responded that, on one hand, I really appreciated that, but on the other hand, I wanted to be the No.1," Ter Stegen explained. "When he said we would see how the pre-season went, I almost lost my temper, but I kept it together. I said, 'That is my wish now, and I am going to inform the board.'

"The board also said they would not release me under any circumstances. And then, I think three weeks later, Pep signed my teammate Claudio Bravo for Manchester City. At first, it was strange, but in the end, I was very happy because I truly did not want to leave, and I became the No.1."

Bravo struggled in the Premier League and lasted only a single season before City spent big money on Ederson in 2017. Ter Stegen, meanwhile, has now racked up 420 Barcelona games and was made club captain in 2024 after initially joining the squad's leadership group two years earlier.