The Cancelo and Al-Hilal scenario on the table: four options to end the Ter Stegen and Barcelona "maze"
The future of German goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen remains unclear so far, which has opened the door to speculation about his fate after the current season.
On loan from Barcelona to Ajax, the goalkeeper is enjoying a fine season. The club are delighted with his displays, and he has cost them little, with Barcelona covering most of his wages.
What happens in June? That's the question now being asked, with his loan spell ending and plans needed for the 2027/28 campaign.
“We are still in November, so I cannot predict what will happen in the summer,” the goalkeeper told the newspaper “Sport Bild” this week.
Little wonder he doesn't know what lies ahead. His situation by then will be fiendishly complicated.
The newspaper "Marca" point to the first factor in play: his contract has just one season left to run.
That deal with Barcelona expires in June 2028, which demands a decisive plan of action.
Several scenarios now face the sporting management. Here they are.
Staying at Barcelona
Looking ahead to next season, the first option is a tricky one. The team already boast two top-class goalkeepers in Joan García and Livaković.
Szczęsny's contract runs out and he will not stay. Ter Stegen, meanwhile, has no route into the starting line-up. Everyone knows Joan García is the undisputed number one, so the German would stay only as a squad player.
At thirty-four, he won't sit on the bench, whether at Barcelona or anywhere else. Neither the club nor the goalkeeper fancies that.
A new loan
A straightforward loan is all but off the table. There's no sense in sending him out only for him to come back in June 2028, when his contract ends.
Ideally, Barcelona would renew his contract first and then loan him out. That makes no sense either. The club don't want to extend given his huge salary, and even on reduced terms it would prove costly, especially as he features in none of Flick's plans, short term or long term.
Selling the German goalkeeper
A move to another club would be perfect for Barcelona. Banking a fee and clearing part of his wages off the books is without doubt the dream outcome for the Catalans.
But is there a club willing to pay a transfer fee and take on his total salary of nearly 20 million euros? That looks unlikely, especially with Barcelona so keen to offload Marc-André.
Terminating the contract
Everything, then, points towards the final option: terminating the contract. It's the most logical route. The club will have to sit down with the goalkeeper's agents and thrash out how to resolve it.
Those talks will centre on the percentage the player is prepared to forgo from his salary in return for tearing up his deal. Cancelo did exactly the same to leave Al-Hilal and join the Camp Nou.
Expect complicated negotiations given his enormous salary. The key to pulling it off lies in ter Stegen's form this season at Ajax.
Keep performing like this and matters get easier, with clubs lining up to sign him. Remember too that he is Germany's first-choice goalkeeper, and plenty of clubs are ready to invest. The snag comes if his level dips or another injury strikes.
