Ter Stegen agrees to join Galatasaray

Marc-Andre ter Stegen has reached an agreement with Galatasaray to join the Turkish giants.

The Istanbul club must now negotiate terms with Barcelona to finalise the German goalkeeper’s departure.

Ter Stegen’s time at Barcelona appears to be nearing its end. Speculation surrounding the club’s desire to part ways with the 32-year-old, combined with the imminent arrival of Joan Garcia, had already cast doubt over his future in Catalonia.

Now, the situation has taken a step further, with reports claiming a deal with Galatasaray is already in place.

Fanatik, a leading Turkish sports outlet, reports that the German has chosen Galatasaray despite having been linked in recent weeks with several top clubs across Europe.

While the likes of Milan, Juventus, Manchester City, Newcastle and PSG were touted as possible destinations, it now seems the international is set for a move outside Europe’s so-called big five leagues.

While an agreement between the player and Galatasaray is reportedly in place, the Turkish side have only completed half the task. Talks with Barcelona are still required, and it remains to be seen what demands the Catalan club will make before authorising the transfer.

Turkish sources remain hopeful that the fee will not be excessive, given that the Catalans would be offloading one of their highest earners – with the goalkeeper’s salary reportedly in the region of €20 million.

During the recent international break, Ter Stegen, on duty with the German national team, insisted he only saw himself continuing at Barcelona. “If I remember correctly, we have two goalkeepers for next season: Inaki [Pena] and I,” he said in a press conference. However, the club’s plans seem to differ significantly.

Barcelona are understood to be preparing a new goalkeeping duo for next season: Joan Garcia and Wojciech Szczesny.