Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen has joined fellow LaLiga side Girona on loan until the end of the season, the two clubs have confirmed.
Ter Stegen, 33, leaves Barça in search of regular first team football after falling behind Joan García in the pecking order at Spotify Camp Nou.
The final decision was taken by the player last week, when it became increasingly clear he would not get game time at Barça when he was left on the bench for the Copa del Rey win over Racing Santander.
After returning from a back injury in December, it is essential that Ter Stegen plays between now and the end of the season as he seeks to book his place in Germany’s World Cup squad this summer.
The move to Girona not only provides him with that possibility, but also enables him to stay close to his children in Barcelona, sources explained, with Girona just 100km north of the Catalan capital.
At Girona, who have won four of their last five games to climb from the relegation zone to the top 10 in LaLiga, he will compete for the gloves with Paulo Gazzaniga.
Ter Stegen joined Barça from Borussia Mönchengladbach in 2014 and has made 423 appearances for the club, winning 19 trophies in that time, including six LaLiga titles and one Champions League.
However, he has featured just 10 times since Hansi Flick was appointed as coach at the start of the 2024-25 season.
He missed the majority of the last campaign with a knee injury and the start of the current season after undergoing back surgery last summer.
In the meantime, Barça have signed both García, who Flick has said repeatedly is his No.1, and Wojciech Szczesny, who is able to serve as García’s No.2.
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