Man City urged to consider Marc-Andre ter Stegen signing as Germany legend Lothar Matthaus evaluates goalkeeper's options amid Barcelona uncertainty

Ter Stegen missed the majority of last season after tearing knee ligaments in September and his future at Camp Nou has been thrown into doubt after Barca signed Joan Garcia from crosstown rivals Espanyol. And Germany legend Lothar Matthaus believes City should move to bring him to the Etihad Stadium as a replacement for Ederson.

Matthaus wrote in his column for Sky Sport Germany: "Six English clubs will be playing there next season, and none of them have a goalkeeper strong enough to say, 'Ter Stegen wouldn't be a reinforcement for us.' I don't know what Manchester City's plans are, but I think they're not too happy with Ederson. I think ter Stegen could definitely be a goalkeeper for the Citizens for the next three or four years."

Wojciech Szczesny came out of retirement to sign for Barca after Ter Stegen's injury and the Pole has become a cult figure at Camp Nou. He is expected to sign a contract until 2027, meaning Ter Stegen could be competing with him and Garcia for the No. 1 spot next season. Matthaus added: "If Barca relies on another goalkeeper, it's a dangerous bet for ter Stegen. At some point, Gemany coach Julian Nagelsmann will no longer be able to justify starting him if he's only sitting on the bench at Barcelona. Given that Szczesny is likely to extend his contract, I expect Ter Stegen to leave Barcelona."

City tried to sign Ter Stegen in Guardiola's very first season but was forced to bring in Claudio Bravo from the Catalan club instead after Barca refused to sell the German. Ederson has been City's No. 1 since moving from Benfica in 2017 but the Brazilian has only one year left on his current deal and made a number of big mistakes last season as City failed to win a trophy for the first time in eight years.

Barca sporting director Deco has said he has not spoken to Ter Stegen about his future in light of the arrival of Garcia and said there had been no discussion over who would be the No. 1 next season. He told La Vanguardia: "I don’t have to talk to him. My job is to build the best possible team for the coach. From there, it’s the coach’s call. There’s no clause in any contract that guarantees playing time. If a footballer really wants to leave, it’s hard to stop them. But that’s not the case right now. I respect Marc, but Joan’s arrival is part of our future planning."