Marc-André ter Stegen boarded a flight to Amsterdam on Thursday to undergo a medical with Ajax, moving closer to completing a season-long loan deal that had stalled for nearly a month. He left Barcelona's pre-season camp in the United Kingdom after the club cleared him to travel, and he will not play in the Blaugrana's friendly against Birmingham City on July 31.
According to a report by The Athletic, Ajax and Barcelona first reached a verbal agreement in principle on July 3. The deal then sat largely dormant for weeks as both clubs worked through tax complications created by paying a salary across two jurisdictions, specifically how the additional fiscal charges generated by the Spanish and Dutch legal frameworks would be divided between the parties. Barcelona sources described the situation as considerably more complicated than initially anticipated. Those close to Ter Stegen said the delays came from a desire to structure the deal correctly rather than rush it through.
Before boarding at Birmingham Airport, Ter Stegen acknowledged the process was not finished. He still needed to complete his medical, finalize documentation, and sign all relevant agreements before Ajax could formally announce the transfer.
The financial structure of the loan has been the central complication throughout negotiations. Barcelona will continue to pay around 90 percent of Ter Stegen's wages, a figure that could dip slightly depending on his involvement and achievements at Ajax, but only marginally. That arrangement stems from the contract extension he signed in 2023, which was back-loaded with deferred salary payments and runs until 2028. That structure leaves Barcelona carrying the bulk of his salary regardless of where he plays.
Barcelona's motivation was never purely financial. Joan García has been the club's first-choice goalkeeper since joining from Espanyol last summer. Wojciech Szczęsny, who had announced his retirement from football in July 2024 before returning to cover for Ter Stegen's injury, signed a two-year extension in July 2025. There is simply no place for Ter Stegen in Hansi Flick's plans for the 2026-27 season.
Ajax will receive a goalkeeper with 423 Barcelona appearances behind him. Ajax manager Michel was also instrumental in persuading Ter Stegen to join Girona on loan in January 2026. That spell was disrupted by a hamstring injury that limited him to just two appearances. The injury also cost him a place in Germany's squad.
Meanwhile, Flick has also been dealing with another departure. ESPN reported that Barcelona boss Hansi Flick said he will "miss" Marcus Rashford after the Manchester United forward returned to his parent club following a loan spell in Spain. The two departures leave Flick reshaping his squad heading into the new season.
Ter Stegen's medical in Amsterdam remains the next formal step before Ajax can make an official announcement.
