Marc-André ter Stegen has surprisingly been linked with FC Bayern, but behind the prominent name lies less a real option and more an exciting mind game about Neuer’s successor
With Jonas Urbig, FC Bayern have long had a goalkeeper in their squad who is set to take over from Manuel Neuer. Nevertheless, new names keep popping up around the German record champions – mostly high-calibre, mostly prominent. Now Marc-André ter Stegen, a long-serving DFB regular keeper, is even being brought into play
Manuel Neuer will end his career in the foreseeable future. Even if the 39-year-old extends his contract once again, he will retire in 2027 at the latest. This certainty inevitably means that the goalkeeping question is being discussed again and again at Säbener Straße. Internally, however, the distribution of roles is clear: Jonas Urbig is considered the designated heir, was deliberately signed and is to be built up step by step – alongside Neuer, not in the shadow of another veteran
Ter Stegen is stuck in Barcelona
Marc-André ter Stegen, meanwhile, finds himself in a tricky situation in sporting terms. After almost seven months out injured, the 33-year-old recently celebrated his comeback at FC Barcelona. But his return has not changed the new hierarchy. Head coach Hansi Flick has declared Joan Garcia the new number one in ter Stegen’s absence – and is sticking to this decision
Particularly explosive: Ter Stegen is not even set as the clear number two. Instead, he is competing with Wojciech Szczęsny for the role of stand-in keeper. This is a problematic starting position for a goalkeeper with World Cup ambitions. With a view to the 2026 World Cup, ter Stegen needs match practice – urgently
According to Spanish newspaper SPORT, the German international keeper is therefore seriously thinking about leaving in the winter. Several clubs are said to have already signalled their interest , as transfer insider Ekrem Konur claims to have learned. These include clubs from the Premier League, Ligue 1 and Turkey. FC Bayern also appear in these reports – albeit more as a thought experiment than a concrete option
Why a move to Bayern makes no sense
As sonorous as the name ter Stegen is, it doesn’t fit into the current Bayern construct. The keeper will be 34 in the summer and earns a rumoured €20 million per year at Barcelona. This would immediately put him in the absolute top earning category in Munich – for a position that the club wants to rejuvenate in the long term
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