Why a new deal for Ter Stegen is a step in the right direction by Barcelona

According to Sport (h/t Daily Mail), Barcelona are on the verge of signing a new contract with their goalkeeper Marc-Andre Ter Stegen.

Ter Stegen has been on top of Barcelona’s priority list for quite some time now, with the German attracting a lot of interest from Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich. The Catalans have been trying to tie him down at the Camp Nou with a new deal ever since Bayern Munich offered a world-record £90million bid for their No.1 custodian in March.

Ter Stegen will now put pen to paper on a deal which runs until 2025. This would see the 28-year-old undergo a significant increase from his current £140,000 weekly wages in the coming days.

The German has gone onto become one of Barcelona’s most prized possessions since arriving from Borussia Monchengladbach in 2014. With one Champions League, four La Liga titles, and as many Spanish Cups to his name, he is undoubtedly one of Barcelona’s key players at the moment.

He has established himself as the side’s undisputed No.1 since the 2016-17 season and has been a regular presence between the sticks ever since.

His impressive displays between the sticks for Barcelona in the last couple of years has seen him emerge as one of the top goalkeepers in Europe.

Ter Stegen a proven performer for Barcelona

Apart from this season, where he has managed just eight clean sheets so far, Ter Stegen has always bagged more than 10 clean sheets in the league from the 2016-17 season. His best-ever display for the Catalans came in the 2017-18 season where he claimed an impressive 19 clean sheets from 37 league games.

So far, he has featured in 224 matches for Barcelona and has 94 clean sheets under his belt. Hence, Barcelona’s decision to offer Ter Stegen seems like a step in the right direction.

Moreover, they just have Brazilian keeper Neto as a back-up but considering his mere four appearances for Barcelona, it is clear that he is not in the club’s plans for the future. So, a new deal for Ter Stegen, by all means, looks profitable for the La Liga giants.

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Verdict

Having won so many trophies with Barcelona already, there is no doubt about Ter Stegen’s abilities. Moreover, he has proved to be consistent for the Catalan side. He also has plenty of time left in his career and will only make them stronger if they extend his stay at the Camp Nou.