Marc-Andre ter Stegen to join fellow Barcelona outcast and Paul Pogba at Monaco as talks begin over summer transfer

Ter Stegen is reportedly in talks with Monaco over a potential summer transfer. Both L’Equipe and Mundo Deportivo claim that the Ligue 1 club has made contact with the Barcelona goalkeeper, who may be on his way out of Camp Nou after nearly a decade with the club.

La Liga champions Barca have already lined up Ter Stegen’s replacement, signing Joan Garcia from city rivals Espanyol for €25 million (£21m/$29m). Garcia is expected to become the new first choice under Hansi Flick, while former Juventus shot-stopper Wojciech Szczesny is being considered as his backup. Offloading the German goalkeeper, who is on high wages, would help Barca balance their books ahead of the new season.

Monaco are already on the verge of signing Fati, another Barcelona outcast along with Pogba, as they aim to build a squad capable of challenging Paris Saint-Germain to domestic titles. Under coach Adi Hutter, the club are planning an aggressive push at the top of Ligue 1 and view Ter Stegen as a marquee addition to their project.

Ter Stegen’s future depends on how firm Barcelona are in their desire to move him on. Though the 33-year-old is reportedly not keen to leave just yet, that could change if the club continues to push him out of the picture. Monaco are also exploring backup options, including Vanja Milinkovic-Savic and Ugurcan Cakir, in case the deal falls through.