BARCELONA, SPAIN - NOVEMBER 04: Marc-Andre Ter Stegen of Barcelona warms up ahead of the UEFA Champions League Group G stage match between FC Barcelona and Dynamo Kyiv at Camp Nou on November 04, 2020 in Barcelona, Spain. Sporting stadiums around Spain remain under strict restrictions due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in games being played behind closed doors. (Photo by Eric Alonso/Getty Images)
According to Daily Mail, Marc-Andre ter Stegen has renewed his contract with Barcelona. The new deal will keep the shot-stopper at the club until 2025. It is also worth noting that a mammoth release clause of €500million has been inserted in the agreement.
Ter Stegen, 27, came through the ranks of Borussia Monchengladbach’s youth system and was promoted to the club’s senior side in 2010. In 127 games for the Bundesliga outfit, he kept 45 clean sheets and his impressive performances earned him a move to Camp Nou in the summer of 2014.
After struggling for two years and playing second-fiddle to Claudio Bravo, he became the first-choice stopper when the Chilean moved to England. Since then, Ter Stegen has made 238 appearances for the Blaugrana and has become one of the best players in the squad. During that time, he has kept a massive 100 clean sheets too.
One of the best sweeper keepers in the world, Ter Stegen had a rather nightmare 2019/20 season when Barcelona were pipped to the league title and given the thrashing of their lives in the Champions League quarter-final. The German has been rather unlucky with the national team as he has played just 2 games over the last 8 years due to the presence of Manuel Neuer.
For a club going through a transition, it is also important to hold on to a few players and keep certain things constant. The club sold the likes of Luis Suarez and Arturo Vidal and got in fresh faces in the form of Pedri, Sergino Dest and Trincao.
Amidst all of Barcelona’s continental woes, Ter Stegen has been a reliable presence in goal. Only last season did he show some bad form. Ever since taking over from Claudio Bravo in 2016, he has kept high standards in goal. He hasn’t allowed any other goalkeeper to usurp his position.
In all these years, he has been a model professional. He has never shown any willingness to exit the club. As one of the longest-serving and important members of the squad, it was only logical that Barcelona decided to renew his contract. It is the right move indeed.
