Marc-Andre ter Stegen is travelling to Amsterdam to finalise a season-long loan move to Ajax, with Goal.com reporting that Barcelona and the Dutch club have reached a verbal agreement, with the Blaugrana set to cover the majority of the 34-year-old’s wages under the deal’s structure.
The Deal Taking Shape
The loan is structured as a straight season-long arrangement running through June 2027, with no buy option or obligation included, according to AD and The Athletic. Ajax’s sporting director Jordi Cruyff and Barcelona’s Deco handled negotiations directly, a working relationship that eased what had previously been a stalled process over salary coverage and financial fair play constraints.
Goal.com’s second report on the saga, published 24 July, adds that Ajax will cover no more than 10% of Ter Stegen’s wages under the proposed agreement, with Barcelona absorbing the rest. Mundo Deportivo reported around the same time that the goalkeeper views Barcelona’s counter-offer positively and that every sign points to a deal satisfying all parties. Ter Stegen is not expected to travel with the Barcelona delegation to their pre-season camp at St George’s Park in Birmingham on Monday.
Why Barcelona Need This Done
Ter Stegen’s contract runs until 2028 and includes deferred wages from previous seasons when he agreed to delay part of his salary to help the club register new signings under La Liga’s financial rules. That accumulated obligation, combined with his current salary, makes him one of the heavier line items on a squad already operating close to its limit.
The hierarchy under Hansi Flick has long since moved on. Joan Garcia is now first choice, Wojciech Szczesny remains in the frame, and Ter Stegen has had no realistic path to regular minutes at Camp Nou. His captaincy was briefly stripped in August 2025 following a dispute over registration paperwork during his injury absence, though it was restored within 24 hours – an episode that made the underlying tension between player and club hard to ignore. The broader squad reshuffling at Barcelona this summer makes shifting a high-earning backup a financial priority, not just a footballing one.
A Familiar Face in the Dugout
For Ter Stegen, the Ajax move offers more than just minutes. Ajax manager Míchel – the same coach who managed him during his Girona loan in the second half of 2025-26 – asked for him by name, according to Goal.com. That relationship matters after a bruising spell: a ruptured patella tendon kept him out for seven months in 2025, a back injury followed, and then a hamstring problem in just his second appearance for Girona ended that loan prematurely and cost him his place in Julian Nagelsmann’s Germany squad for the 2026 World Cup.
Ajax are also an active summer partner for the Blaugrana, with other loan arrangements already in motion between the clubs this window. The timing matters too: if the deal is formalised before 31 July, Ter Stegen can be registered for Ajax’s UEFA Conference League third qualifying round campaign, with the Dutch side already holding a 4-1 first-leg lead over Serbia’s Vojvodina Novi Sad.
What Happens Next
The medical in Amsterdam and completion of paperwork are the remaining steps before an official announcement, with both clubs expecting that to happen within days. Ajax’s Eredivisie season opens on 9 August away at Zwolle – the clock is running.
