Germany goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen has confirmed he will still leave Borussia Moenchengladbach in the summer, despite the news of Barcelona’s transfer ban.
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On Wednesday, FIFA announced that Barcelona would be prohibited from signing players for two consecutive windows after failing to abide by rules governing transfers of players under 18.
Ter Stegen has long been linked with a move to Barca as they seek a replacement for Victor Valdes, whose contract expires in the summer, and Gladbach sporting director Max Eberl said last month that the 21-year-old German would “definitely move abroad” at the end of the season and announced that Basel's Yann Sommer would be his replacement.
However, if FIFA imposes the ban this summer, that would appear to end ter Stegen’s chances of completing a transfer to the Camp Nou, but the keeper insisted he would still be leaving Gladbach.
Asked about the transfer ban, he told German tabloid Express: “I have heard nothing about this, and I don’t know what you want from me now. I don’t want to make any comments. It’s fact that I’ll be leaving Borussia in the summer.”
Ter Stegen’s agent, Gerd vom Bruch, indicated to Sportschau.de that the goalkeeper may have already put pen to paper on a contract at the Camp Nou.
“You can assume that ter Stegen will not be out of work,” the agent said. “I am not a solicitor, but the question is if signed contracts are still valid or if they come under the transfer ban. Although Marc-Andre still has a valid contract at Borussia, I can’t imagine that he will stay.”
