Marc-André ter Stegen was supposed to be in Amsterdam by now. Instead, the Barcelona goalkeeper spent playing in a friendly training match against CE Europa, and is reportedly set to join the Blaugrana’s pre-season tour to England but because his loan move to Ajax has hit another wall over money.
Where Negotiations Stand
Reporter Matteo Moretto reports that a fresh salary disagreement has emerged between Barcelona and Ajax, bringing what was already a protracted saga to another halt. with the understanding that Barcelona would shoulder the majority of Ter Stegen’s wages during his time at the Amsterdam club.
The deal remains held up, but the salary disagreement is now the sticking point. According to Moretto, Barcelona are refusing to move on their position due to Financial Fair Play constraints, while Ajax are similarly dug in. Both clubs are refusing to budge, and the result is a transfer that has been functionally complete for weeks on paper The hope is that the deal gets done in the coming days.
The Core Obstacle: Salary, FFP, and a High-Earner Problem
The underlying difficulty here is not unique to this deal, but it is particularly acute. Ter Stegen remains a Barcelona player, and his wage structure – – Barcelona are expected to pay the majority of Ter Stegen’s salary during his loan but are refusing to budge in the latest round of negotiations due to Financial Fair Play constraints. regardless of where he plays.
Barcelona’s position is that they are already absorbing the bulk of that salary and cannot stretch further without running into FFP complications.
Ajax’s counter-position, also reported by Moretto, is equally logical from their side. – – while carrying meaningful wage exposure is a risk the Dutch club are unwilling to accept the reported salary terms. The gap between what Barcelona are willing to pay and what Ajax are willing to accept is, apparently, still not closed.
A Pattern Emerging at Barcelona
That context makes the salary deadlock over Ter Stegen slightly more frustrating – the relationship and the goodwill are evidently there, but the financials on this particular deal keep proving harder to pin down than either side anticipated.
Barcelona are expected to pay the majority of Ter Stegen’s salary during his loan but are refusing to budge in the latest round of negotiations due to Financial Fair Play constraints. and
What Breaks the Deadlock
The hope is that the deal will finally go through in the coming days. ; Neither would constitute a fundamental shift from the current stated positions.
Barcelona begin their pre-season tour to England next week, and In the meantime, Ter Stegen may even be included in the pre-season training squad that flies to England next week.
If those external pressures do not concentrate minds quickly enough, there is an alternative scenario worth keeping in mind. Moretto’s reporting says neither club is close to budging, but if neither club is close to budging, a stalemate can eventually force both sides to reassess. For now, Ter Stegen waits – still a Barcelona player, remains in Barcelona and played in Friday’s friendly training game against CE Europa.
