The Marc-André ter Stegen saga in Barcelona appears to have taken yet another turn, with the German goalkeeper potentially missing the entirety of the first half of 2025–26 with a back injury.
Plenty of conspiracy theories emerged after Ter Stegen was nowhere to be found during Barcelona's first few training sessions of the pre-season. Many theorized his absence was a sign of protest, with Joan García emerging as the favorite to be Hansi Flick's starter in goal next season.
However, news have now surfaced that Ter Stegen is dealing with a back injury that could force him to go under the knife. Barcelona's captain could take a gamble and opt for a more conservative treatment, but surgery is a real possibility and the procedure could force him to miss from four to six months, according to reports.
If Ter Stegen were to have surgery, then it's almost impossible to envision Barcelona being able to find him a new home—something that the club have been considering this summer. This throws a wrench at one of Barça's main plans to cash-in on a player this summer.
Nevertheless, Ter Stegen's potentially lengthy absence opens the door for the Catalans to resort to a strategy they've used in the past.
Barcelona could opt to exploit a loophole in La Liga's rules which allows clubs to allocate 80% of an injured player's salary on replacements. This is how Barcelona temporarily managed to register Dani Olmo and Pau Víctor last season, in the wake of Andreas Christensen's Achilles injury.
Ter Stegen has one of the highest salaries in Barcelona's current squad, with reports saying he's due to make around €16 million ($18.5 million) this season—a key reason why the club is looking to offload the German. With 80% of that salary off the books, the Catalans could easily register García and likely even get close to meeting La Liga's 1:1 rule.
When Ter Stegen is back and ready to play, a move elsewhere during the Jan. 2026 transfer window could be in the cards considering he'd have six months to return to form before the FIFA World Cup.
Ter Stegen dealt with back problems recently. He had lower back surgery in Nov. 2023 and missed two months of the campaign. Now, it appears the problems have resurfaced.
Barcelona are prepared to handle their captain's absence, with García and Wojciech Szczęsny offering more than serviceable options in goal. If Ter Stegen does require surgery and Barcelona are able to offload the bulk of his salary, then they could potentially be closer to having the means to add another reinforcement elsewhere on the pitch.
READ THE LATEST BARCELONA NEWS, TRANSFER RUMORS AND MORE
This article was originally published on www.si.com as New Marc-Andre Ter Stegen Injury Complicates Barcelona Exit.