Ter Stegen has gone through a year worth forgetting and has faced both sporting and personal problems; the worst possible combination. The German suffered a serious injury at the start of the season and has been away from the field all year. Although he has recovered satisfactorily, he hasn't been able to prove he's still the same goalkeeper as before.
Barça have gone through tough times in recent seasons, but they're recovering satisfactorily thanks to Flick. The coach has been the best possible signing and the team's level speaks for itself. The team will improve a lot with the arrival of Joan García, but Ter Stegen has already made it clear.
Ter Stegen and Joan García, head to head
Initially, Ter Stegen was going to be the starting goalkeeper when he returned from his injury, but that hasn't ended up being the case. Szczesny surprised with a great level and ended up taking Iñaki's spot and, later, the German's. After it became known that Barça have already signed Joan García, some statements from Ter Stegen a few weeks ago have gained popularity.
A few weeks ago, a journalist asked Ter Stegen about the potential signing of Joan García. The goalkeeper replied: "No one from the club has spoken to me about this possibility. I'm not worried at all because I know that next season I'll be at Barcelona."
In addition, Ter Stegen stated: "As far as I know, next season only Iñaki and I will be goalkeepers, so the competition will be between us. If a new player arrives, he'll face the same competition; it's the nature of playing at a great club. We've always had strong goalkeepers."
Ter Stegen's future under Flick's orders
With his statements, the culé fans understood that Joan García wouldn't join the club, but in the end, that's how it'll be. Several sources claim that Ter Stegen has received an offer from Galatasaray and, knowing he won't have much prominence at Barça, he could accept it. The offer Szczesny has on the table also makes the German consider his future.
Ter Stegen's statements suggested that he was giving Flick notice that he'd stay at Barça to fight for the starting spot. Now that only Joan García's arrival needs to be confirmed, it's unknown if the culé's statements will be kept. Over the coming weeks, we'll find out what happens with the Catalan team's goalkeeping position.