Marc-Andre Ter Stegen admits that he may be forced to leave Barcelona in search of regular first-team football at the end of the season.
The Germany international is back-up to Claudio Bravo at the Camp Nou but has been trusted with the role of being Luis Enrique’s No.1 man between the sticks in cup and European competition since he arrived at the start of last season.
Given Bravo is 32, Ter Stegen, who is nine years his senior, would appear the natural heir to his throne. However, the 23-year-old isn’t planning on waiting around forever and insists his may have to assess his options if nothing changes in the summer.
“I want to take the next step and play more because the situation is clear: If nothing changes, I’ll need to speak [to the club],” he is quoted as saying by Marca, via Football Espana.
“At the end of the season, I’ll have played 25 games. This isn’t too little, but when I return from the selection, I’ll probably be benched against Real Madrid in the Clasico.
“In the long run, these 25 games are not enough for me. [On his future], no idea, it’s too early to say. Next, we’ll play Real Madrid in the league and then Atletico in the Champions League. They’re what’s important. We’ll see what Barca have planned for me [at the end of the season].
No goalkeeper has kept more clean sheets in the knockout stages of the Champions League than Ter Stegen since the start of last season (4).
For more stats on Marc-Andre Ter Stegen, click here to visit his WhoScored player page
