Barcelona faces a major hurdle, as a high-profile player’s anticipated departure is stalled due to a lack of market interest.
Barcelona, as they desperately attempt to get their squad and finances in line, have run into a major obstacle as one of their departing players can’t find anyone to take him.
The club, required to get rid of expensive players to comply with La Liga’s financial fair play rules in order to act in the transfer market like signing Nico Williams, wants to sell players so it can afford to sign them.
Unfortunately, potential buyers have been put off by the player’s high wages and age, and Barcelona’s hands are tied on this one since at this time, and with the transfer window approaching, they do not have a clear offer to accept, feedback from potential suitors, or anything legit to work with to keep the book balanced.
The player in question is Marc-Andre ter Stegen, their long-time goalkeeper and captain, according to Diario Sport.
Despite Ter Stegen’s reputation as a household name worldwide, his at €10 million net annual salary, and age have put suitors off. Manchester City should be a fit, with their inconsistency with Ederson looking for a replacement, yet only a handful of clubs could afford to meet Ter Stegen’s wages.
A couple of clubs – AC Milan and Chelsea- have shown interest but have not made serious offers, and it looks like Barcelona’s only options for Ter Stegen are a transfer or contract termination.
Complicating matters is that Ter Stegen does not want to leave. He believes he can earn his job back, and he appreciates the stability that life in Barcelona offers his family – he has a contract until 2028.
There is a World Cup coming up, and a year of being a backup keeper would ruin any chance he has to be on the national team for that event.
With time running out, this is a reminder of the difficulty of re-shaping a team with severe financial limitations.
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