Hansi Flick tells Barcelona star he will no longer be a starter amid transfer talk
The 33-year-old has three years remaining on his Barcelona contract, and is one of the best-paid members of the club. He has publicly declared has no intention of leaving Barcelona, and intends to compete for the number one spot with Garcia.
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Flick communicates decision to ter Stegen
According to Sport, on Friday Flick had discussions with ter Stegen over his future, and communicated to him that he was no longer to be their starter next season. On Thursday Flick returned from his summer holidays, and had dinner with his assistants Marcus Sorg and Toni Tapalovic to discuss the coming season that evening.
Marc-Andre ter Stegen of FC Barcelona warms up during the Spanish league, La Liga EA Sports, football match played between Villarreal CF and FC Barcelona at La Ceramica stadium on September 22, 2024, in Valencia, Spain. AFP7 22/09/2024 ONLY FOR USE IN SPAIN
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The Catalan daily say that Flick held an honest conversation with ter Stegen, explaining that the decision to sign and use Garcia was a strategic one, and that he had faith in the 24-year-old to be Barcelona's number one. He also made it clear that Wojciech Szczesny would remain as number two, and thus ter Stegen would be third-choice.
Ter Stegen likely to fight for position
The Barcelona manager even went on to say that ter Stegen feels it is the right thing to do, then he should stay and fight for his position. Even so, he was keen to let ter Stegen know with time to make alternative plans, should he desire. Barcelona will not seek out an exit plan for him, but are willing to come to an agreement to terminate his deal and make him a free agent, paying off one of his three remaining years on his deal.
Nevertheless, ter Stegen's intention is to remain and fight for his place, and his belief is that if the call is made based on sporting merit, then he will end up as number one. He is also frustrated with the club after stories about his character emerged, feeling they were a deliberate attempt to damage his reputation.
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Difficult decade for ter Stegen
Since the pandemic, and the turn of the decade, ter Stegen has had a difficult time of it at Barcelona. Although he was back to his best as Xavi Hernandez secured the La Liga title in 2023, he has also suffered three operations in the last five years. Outside of the 2022-23 season, his performances have also been questioned.
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