The Germany international found himself in an almost impossible situation in Catalonia after a controversial year for the veteran star.
Ter Stegen effectively triggered a civil war at the Camp Nou at the start of the 2025/26 campaign after his furious reaction to the club signing Joan Garcia from Espanyol as his replacement.
That row was eventually resolved, and Ter Stegen’s freed up ‘salary space’ was repurposed to prove Barca could cover Garcia’s wages, as part of a delicate financial balancing act which kept him as club captain.
After not featuring in a league game following his return from injury at the end of 2026, Barca sanctioned a January loan to Girona, which was also wrecked by injury within weeks of joining their neighbours.
He returned for preseason last month, but was still not a realistic option for Hansi Flick, with Wojciech Szczęsny covering for Garcia during his summer break.
Ter Stegen has now accepted terms over a year in Amsterdam, but with no purchase clause included in the deal, Barca could face another headache in 2027.