Deco rules out Barcelona move for Marc-Andre ter Stegen's successor – 'I wouldn't want to be a replacement'
Barcelona Sporting Director Deco says they are not looking to bring in a long-term successor for first-choice goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen. The German is likely to miss the rest of the season with a knee injury, his third operation in the space of four years.
Last season he also missed several months of action, sparking discussions that the Blaugreana considered his long-term future in the position. For the short term, Wojciech Szczesny was brought out of retirement to compete with Inaki Pena.
During an interview with MD however, Deco said that Ter Stegen was the man for the predictable.
“No. Marc still has three years of contract, he is young for a goalkeeper, 32 years old, and we need to focus on him recovering well and returning well. Therefore, having two goalkeepers who give us guarantees is important, not to be in a hurry for him to come back. We will analyze it little by little, I don't think it is something that we have to consider now.”
Deco: “We don't bet on La Masia players for FFP reasons, we bet on them because of their quality.”
— Barcacentre (@barcacentre) November 14, 2024
Deco explained that they wanted Szczesny to compete with Pena, and that Hansi Flick would decide who played, when it comes to him, the Polish goalkeeper would only stay if he was a regular. In particular, Diogo Costa of Porto has been highlighted as his reported favorite for the position.
“First he will not come because we have Ter Stegen. I am not looking at any goalkeeper now because when Marco is good, we will not sign anyone for him. Also, if it is Diogo, I do not know if he will come to Barcelona to be a substitute. We don't consider signing him and if I were in his position I would go to a club where I knew he was going to play. We are happy with the goalkeepers we have today and, above all, that he wins with Porto.
Barcelona has been linked with a variety of goalkeepers in recent months, including Mio Backhaus at Werder Bremen, Lucas Chevalier at Lille, and even Joan Garcia at Espanyol. However, if Deco is to be believed, it seems they are banking on ter Stegen – it would certainly be difficult to move his wages. Pena and Szczesny are both out of contract in 2026 and 2025 though, so Deco will have to do some work on the position.
