Marc-Andre ter Stegen left in the dark as Barcelona vow not to explain Joan Garcia signing despite German's anger

Barcelona are close to finalising the signing of goalkeeper Garcia from Espanyol, with the club taking a firm stance on not needing to explain the decision to current No. 1 Ter Stegen, Mundo Deportivo reports. The club views squad planning as the responsibility of director of football Deco and head coach Hansi Flick, and believes reinforcing the team doesn’t require prior consultation with individual players — goalkeepers included.

The move has reportedly left Ter Stegen outraged, feeling blindsided and disrespected by what he perceives as an attempt to phase him out without transparency. Despite his years of service and leadership, Barcelona remain firm in their belief that team decisions rest solely with sporting management. Flick will manage the goalkeeper rotation as he sees fit, and any concerns players may have should be taken up directly with him. So far, no official request to leave has been submitted by the German international.

While Ter Stegen is determined to remain at the club and fight for his spot, there has been no shortage of interest in the goalkeeper's services. Manchester United are reportedly eyeing the Barca custodian to replace the under-fire Andre Onana. Turkish giants Galatasaray have also expressed interest in the former Borussia Monchengladbach player, while Saudi giants Al-Hilal are also rumoured to be keeping tabs on his situation at Barcelona.

Reports from Spain suggested that the 33-year-old was scheduled for talks with president Joan Laporta and Flick to understand his future at the club. It is widely expected that the German international will be the third-choice goalkeeper behind Garcia and Wojciech Szczesny, which could prompt him to leave Catalunya this summer.