Marc-Andre ter Stegen warned he has 'no chance' of Barcelona resurrection due to 'merciless' treatment as goalkeeper urged to find a new club

The relationship between Barcelona and Ter Stegen fell apart over the summer as the 33-year-old was told he would be dropped to third choice under coach Hansi Flick in the new season. Due to the arrival of Joan Garcia, the new undisputed starter, from Espanyol and the re-signing of Wojciech Szczesny, the club hoped to convince Ter Stegen to leave in an attempt to get his salary off their books.  

The tension reached its peak when Ter Stegen, after requiring surgery on a back injury, refused to sign off on the medical report that would confirm to La Liga that he would be out for a lengthy period, which would allow Barcelona to use a large proportion of his salary to cover Garcia's, meaning he could be registered in time for their first game of the season. The German's refusal sparked disciplinary action as he was temporarily stripped of his captaincy, though he eventually relented and granted approval for the report to be sent to La Liga.

Due to the injury, the ex-Borussia Monchengladbach star is not expected to return to training for some time, but he is not expected to feature for the Catalan club regardless of his fitness. The shot stopper is reluctant to leave Barcelona after living there for 11 years, but a lack of playing time will likely result in him being left out of the Germany squad for the World Cup. National team coach Julian Nagelsmann has made it clear that he will only start at the tournament if he plays consistently for his club, and ex-Barca and Germany Schuster has warned a move is an absolute necessity.

He told Sport Bild: “Since it’s well known how ruthless Barca can be with players they no longer need, if I were him, I’d look for a new club in the winter. 

"Flick has clearly put his trust in new signing Joan Garcia and Wojciech Szczesny as the backup. Ter Stegen won’t be given another chance.

"In my opinion, his new club doesn't have to be an absolute top club. An ambitious Bundesliga club where he plays regularly would also be good. Because that's what he absolutely needs – otherwise, I can well imagine the national coach bringing Manuel Neuer back into the Germany goal for the 2026 World Cup."

With less than a year until the 2026 World Cup, time is running out for the Barcelona veteran. Unless he finds regular playing time soon, he risks losing the Germany No.1 spot he has long been chasing but could never fully claim with Manuel Neuer in the picture. And now, with the Bayern Munich veteran even being urged to return, the pressure is only mounting.