Marc-Andre ter Stegen has agreed to leave FC Barcelona on loan and join Ajax. The move would push Barcelona’s captain out of a crowded goalkeeping race, with Wojciech Szczesny and Joan Garcia ahead of him.
His reported salary is $17.1 million, or €15 million, and that figure is now the main obstacle. Ajax cannot cover the full amount, so Barcelona may have to absorb a substantial portion before the loan can go through.
Ajax Push Led by Michel and Jordi Cruyff
The interest from Ajax has been driven by Michel and Jordi Cruyff, with both wanting ter Stegen as the club’s new goalkeeper. Jordi Cruyff now holds the same football role at Ajax that he once had at FC Barcelona, while Michel is the former head coach at Girona.
Fabrizio Romano said negotiations were well underway on the player side and described the salary share as the key point being discussed. SPORT also reported that ter Stegen is willing to accept an offer from Ajax, adding weight to the idea that the player side has already moved closer to the transfer than the clubs have.
Barcelona’s Goalkeeping Order
The situation has shifted quickly inside FC Barcelona. Ter Stegen was initially sidelined for a lengthy period in 2024/2025, replaced by Wojciech Szczesny, and then dropped further down the order after Joan Garcia moved ahead of him.
Garcia’s rise has been sharp. He won La Liga and the Zamora trophy in his maiden campaign, while ter Stegen’s previous second-half loan spell at Girona never really got going after another back injury and a hamstring knock.
That leaves Barcelona weighing a loan exit for a captain who has already lost ground in the squad and Ajax trying to land a goalkeeper it wants without taking on the full wage bill. If the clubs settle the salary split, the path opens immediately; if they do not, the agreement ter Stegen has already given on the player side stops at the negotiating table.
