Barcelona captain Marc-Andre ter Stegen was not interested in a move in the summer, signalling that he not only intended to see out the remaining years on his contract, but also intended to compete for the number one spot. Yet the pressure is rising for ter Stegen, who has his international future on the line too.

Ter Stegen is nearing a comeback from knee surgery after missing most of last season through injury too. The 33-year-old goalkeeper has supposedly been told that Joan Garcia will remain number one even when he is fit though, and Garcia is expected to be back from his own meniscus issue next weekend.

Pressure rising on ter Stegen from Germany

Next summer ter Stegen harbours hopes of being Germany’s number one at the 2026 World Cup though, which would be his first major tournament as first-choice for die Mannschaft. Manager Julian Nagelsmann has commented publicly that ter Stegen must be playing in order to be Germany’s number one though, and seemingly the German Football Federation have encouraged him to seek a loan move in January to get game time.

On top of that, earlier this week there were reports that German Sporting Director Rudi Voller was sounding out Manuel Neuer about coming out of retirement – he is starting for Bayern Munich currently. Ter Stegen is now thought to be considering a loan exit.

Option emerges for ter Stegen in Turkiye

Linked to a number of clubs in recent months, including Manchester United, Fanatik, as carried by Sport, say that Turkish giants Besiktas have been in contact with his camp over a potential loan move. They would offer him guaranteed football and the chance to compete in the Europa League.

Jan Virgili: "Barça? It has always been and still is my dream. I've been a Barça fan my whole life. If one day the doors of the first team open to me, I'd be delighted." @marca

— barcacentre (@barcacentre) November 13, 2025

Should United or AS Monaco, like Besiktas teams that were rejected out of hand in the summer due to ter Stegen’s stance on an exit, remain interested, then they could be more appealing options for the veteran shot-stopper. United will bring visibility in the Premier League, while Monaco remain in the Champions League currently.