Marc-André ter Stegen is set to undergo a medical in Amsterdam before completing a season-long loan move to Ajax, with The Athletic reporting that the 34-year-old left Barcelona’s pre-season camp in the United Kingdom on Thursday after the club gave him the green light to travel to the Netherlands. He will not feature in the Blaugrana’s friendly against Birmingham City on July 31.
A move that has dragged for weeks
The Athletic first reported on July 3 that Ajax and Barcelona had reached a verbal agreement in principle over the loan, which would cover the entire 2026-27 season. What should have been a routine exit then stalled for the best part of a month over tax complications arising from the legal frameworks in Spain and the Netherlands – specifically, how the additional fiscal charges generated by paying a salary across two jurisdictions would be distributed between the parties.
Barcelona sources described the situation as considerably more complicated than initially anticipated, while those close to Ter Stegen’s camp said the delays stemmed from a determination to structure the deal correctly rather than rush it through. Those issues were resolved on Thursday, clearing the path for him to fly to Amsterdam. As Ter Stegen himself acknowledged briefly at Birmingham Airport before boarding, the process was not quite finished: he still needs to complete his medical, finalise documentation and sign all relevant agreements before Ajax can formally announce the transfer.
Financial structure and salary burden
The financial structure of the loan has been the defining complication throughout. Barcelona will continue to pay around 90 per cent of Ter Stegen’s wages – a figure that could dip slightly depending on his involvement and achievements at Ajax, but only marginally. That is a consequence of the contract extension he signed in 2023, which was back-loaded with deferred salary payments and runs until 2028, leaving the Catalans carrying the bulk of his remuneration regardless of where he plays.
The FFP obstacles that had been blocking the deal were real enough, but Barcelona’s motivation was always as much about squad clarity as cap relief. Joan García has been the first-choice goalkeeper since joining from Espanyol last summer, and 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.
What Ajax get – and what comes next
Ajax will inherit an immediate number one with 423 Barcelona appearances behind him and a manager, Michel, who was 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 two appearances and cost him a place in Germany’s World Cup squad – Manuel Neuer came out of retirement to fill the void – but Michel’s confidence in him has not wavered.
Once the medical clears and the paperwork is complete, the formal announcement is expected within days, after which Ter Stegen will begin training with a squad whose season is already underway. Barcelona, meanwhile, continue to reshape their roster – the club is also managing the futures of several other players, with the window still open and further departures possible before it closes.
