Aston Villa are considering signing Marc-Andre Ter Stegen from Barcelona. The English club wants competition for Emiliano Martinez and see the German goalkeeper as the perfect signing.
Aston Villa want Marc-Andre ter Stegen
As per a report in Mundo Deportivo, Aston Villa have reached Barcelona and Ter Stegen as they look to strengthen their squad in January. Unai Emery wants a goalkeeper who can play out from the back, and is trying to lure the German player.
Problem for Marc-Andre ter Stegen
Barcelona boss Hansi Flick has Joan Garcia as his first choice at the club and has made it pretty obvious that Ter Stegen will not be given the #1 spot. The German coach has created a pecking order, and the 33-year-old goalkeeper is open to leaving as he wants to secure his place in the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Lothar Matthaus talked about Ter Stegen earlier this season, requesting the German player to leave, as he believed that his time at the club had come to an end. He told BILD that the goalkeeper should be looking for more playing time at somewhere else and said:
"In my opinion, Ter Stegen will not play for Barca again. He needs to play to achieve his dream of participating in the World Cup; if he wants to play in the World Cup, he should leave. I understand [Ter Stegen] — he performed well, was a team captain, and has his life in Barca, but he must accept his fate now. Barça has other ideas and different plans. These are decisions that must be accepted, there's no need to complain as this is part of football. There is nothing and nobody bigger than the club."
Barcelona have Garcia as their first choice with Wojciech Szczesny as their second, and are open to selling or loaning Ter Stegen in the January transfer window.
Manchester City tried to sign Marc-Andre Ter Stegen in 2016
Marc-Andre Ter Stegen was linked with a move to the Premier League in 2016, when Pep Guardiola's Manchester City tried to sign him. The German goalkeeper confirmed that he had a meeting with the Spanish coach and told BILD's Phrasenmaher podcast:
"We met here in Barcelona. It was crazy: I had to pick up someone else at the airport in the morning, but Pep came out too, with his cap on. I saw him and didn't know what to do. We met that evening at a friend's apartment. The plan sounded very good; I could have seen myself there. Pep wanted to make everything possible, and the club was very committed to me."
"When he said we'd wait for the preseason—after two years—I almost got angry. I then spoke to the board. They also said: 'We're not letting you go under any circumstances.' The release clause at the time was €80 million. Three weeks later, Claudio Bravo was at Man City. That was kind of strange. In the end, the transfer didn't happen, and I'm very happy about that."
Marc-Andre ter Stegen was Barcelona's first choice goalkeeper until he picked up the ACL injury last season.