Barcelona ready to cash in on Ter Stegen

Stuart Telford

• 25 Feb 2024 13:30 GMT
• 3 min read

Al-Ittihad have made a big money offer for Marc-Andre ter Stegen, and Barcelona are ready to cash in amid their financial dire straits, according to a report.

Ter Stegen has established himself as one of the best goalkeepers in the world since arriving at Barca from Borussia Monchengladbach for just €12 million back in the summer of 2014, and he appears happy in Catalonia.

But the club continue to struggle with a debt of more than €1 billion, and with a player now valued at €52.7 million by FootballTransfers' in-house algorithm, Barcelona could find it impossible to refuse an offer.

Former Barca executive Ramon Planes is now in the Saudi Pro League with Al-Ittihad, and he is pushing his new employers to sign Ter Stegen next summer.

Planes' Ter Stegen plan

"Al-Ittihad want Marc-Andre ter Stegen. The Saudi team, led by Ramon Planes in its sports management, has already made an offer to the Barcelona goalkeeper," reports Relevo's Jorge C. Picon.

"Their interest is driven by Ramon Planes, who was at Barcelona between 2018 and 2021, when he served as assistant to Eric Abidal and, later, as the club's technical secretary."

It is understood a big-money offer could also tempt the player, who at 31 has already won five La Ligas and a Champions League, but has had the misfortune of emerging at the same time as Manuel Neuer for Germany.

Al-Ittihad already plundered European football for big-name players last summer, bringing Karim Benzema, N'Golo Kante and Fabinho to the club.

While Barca would be loath to lose one of their club captains - one who is on a relatively paltry €6.3m at Camp Nou - a bumper transfer fee would be welcomed, and his understudy Inaki Pena has deputised well across his 10 league appearances this season.