Marc-Andre ter Stegen to Liverpool: Manchester United could rival Reds if Barcelona allow goalkeeper to leave
Barcelona are reluctant to sell their back-up goalkeeper, but funding new contracts and Ter Stegen's desire for regular football could see him leave the Nou Camp
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Liverpool are believed to be growing increasingly confident that Barcelona will consider selling goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen in the summer, but will face competition from Premier League rivals Manchester United.
Despite featuring in Barcelona’s 3-1 Champions League victory over Arsenal on Wednesday night that sealed a 5-1 aggregate win, Ter Stegen is reported to be growing increasingly unhappy with Luis Enrique’s rotation policy. The Germany goalkeeper has been forced to play second fiddle to Claudio Bravo in La Liga, and the Daily Mail reports that the 23-year-old is unhappy with the lack of regular playing time.
While Barcelona would be reluctant to allow Ter Stegen to leave, the goalkeeper does have an €80m [£63m] release clause in his contract, and the Catalans could negotiate a lower fee given they need to fund lucrative contract extensions for Neymar, Lionel Messi and Sergio Busquets, as well as generate money for the planned redevelopment of the Nou Camp.
Ter Stegen was outspoken in his desire to play regular first-team football earlier this week, and left Barcelona in no doubt over his intention to force his way into the first-team or seek opportunities elsewhere.
“I am not interested in being the goalkeeper of the future,” Ter Stegen said on Tuesday ahead of the Champions League victory over Arsenal. “The future can be a long way off.”
Despite Bravo turning 33 years old next month, Enrique is understood to have the preference of retaining the Chile international as his first-choice, meaning Ter Stegen would have to make do with another year of cup football only.
At present, Ter Stegen will make at most just seven more appearances this season – providing Barcelona reach the Champions League final – with the former Borussia Monchengladbach goalkeeper set to feature in the Copa del Rey final in which they’ll face Sevilla across two legs.
Liverpool are in the hunt for at least one new goalkeeper, with Adam Bogdan already informed that he has no future at Anfield. Simon Mignolet’s indifferent form this season though could yet lead to manager Jürgen Klopp replacing the Belgian and signing two goalkeepers in the summer.
However, United could throw a spanner in the works and rival Liverpool – who they face tonight in the Europa League last 16 second-leg – and move for Ter Stegen should Real Madrid resume their attempts to sign David De Gea in the summer.
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