Girona is now closing in on securing a January loan move for a frustrated exit-bound Barcelona star seeking regular first-team football.
The operation on the table is a winter loan that would send a high-profile, highly-paid veteran across the region for six months, giving him the minutes he is no longer guaranteed at Montjuïc while handing Míchel’s struggling side a proven leader in a position that has become a genuine crisis.
For Barcelona, it is a calculated gamble: ease internal congestion, keep a big name active and in the shop window, and avoid dressing-room tension from a star who has slipped down the pecking order.
The player is Marc-André ter Stegen, 33, whose status has dramatically shifted this season with Joan García now installed as the undisputed starter under Hansi Flick, as reported by Fichajes.
After months without competitive minutes and with a contract running to 2028, ter Stegen knows he will not play ahead of the in-form Spaniard and is open to a temporary exit to protect his rhythm and chances of returning to the German national team ahead of the 2026 World Cup.
Girona formally asked Barcelona about the feasibility of a loan in January, seeing the operation as mutually beneficial rather than opportunistic.
From Barça’s viewpoint, a six‑month loan would free up the squad structure, keep ter Stegen active, and delay any definitive decision on a sale until the summer.
Girona, 18th in La Liga with just 12 points from 15 games, desperately needs stability in goal after the departure of their previous No.1 and the inconsistency of his replacement, which has left the team exposed in key matches.
The risks remain—Barcelona would have less cover if García suffers an injury, and Girona would be betting on a keeper who has not played for months—but the potential upside for all three parties makes this one of the winter window’s most intriguing Catalan dominoes.
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