Ter Stegen Was Set to Leave. Barça’S Finances Stopped Him

On Friday, Marc-André ter Stegen’s move to Ajax appeared to be all but complete. One Saturday was enough for Barcelona to remind everyone that even saying goodbye at this club requires several rounds of negotiations and a mandatory meeting with Financial Fair Play.

According to Matteo Moretto in „Marca”, the dispute is not only about tax matters but also about how the goalkeeper’s salary would be divided. Barça refuse to budge, citing financial regulations, while Ajax are unwilling to cover as much as the Catalan club want. Barcelona would therefore like to remove the German’s wages from their books — preferably by having someone else pay for it.

Ter Stegen joined Barcelona in 2014 and has won everything with the club, including the Champions League and six La Liga titles. More than a decade later, his toughest opponent is no longer another goalkeeper, but a wage agreement and Barça’s strained budget.

A final decision is expected in the coming days. Until then, Ter Stegen will remain in Barcelona, Ajax will keep waiting, and Barça will once again try to prove that they can push a player towards the exit while negotiating as if three clubs were fighting to sign him.