Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-Andre Ter Stegen has been linked with a move to Arsenal. The Gunners have goalkeeping option in Petr Cech and David Ospina but with the ex-Chelsea stopper now north of 30 and Ospina failing to impress, they are keen on adding the young German to their ranks.
Ter Stegen first broke into the scene with a young Borussia Monchengladbach reserve side back in 2009 and he went on to become a first team player just weeks prior to him turning 19. He replaced the erratic Belgian stopper Logan Bailly and being a local player, won over the support of the fans very easily.
Ter Stegen stayed with the club until the 2013-14 season and during his time at the club, he went on to represent them 127 times, keeping 45 clean sheets in the process.
In the summer of 2014, Barcelona announced the signing of Ter Stegen on a five year deal for a reported fee of £9.7 m and a buyout clause worth £63.6 m. The Catalan club had lost two ageing keepers in the form of Victor Valdes and Jose Manuel Pinto and replaced them with Ter Stegen and Claudio Bravo.
In his first season at the club, he was not a regular starter for the league matches but was first-choice for the Copa Del Rey and the UEFA Champions League fixtures. The German played a good hand for the club and won the UEFA “Save of the Season” award for his heroic off the line save against Bayern Munich in the Champions League Semi-final clash.
Since Bravo left for City, Ter Stegen has gone on to become the number one for Barcelona on all fronts and has developed into one of the finest keepers. His gaming style suits Barcelona as he is comfortable on the ball and has a good eye for distribution.
His move to Arsenal will no doubt tempt him as it will give him a chance to play in the Premier League but he will not want to leave such a Barcelona side in favour of an Arsenal team who are waning away from top European glory. Moreover, he has established himself with the pace of the league and with a long career ahead of him will want to make himself a club legend with the Catalans.
As for Arsenal, it would be an ideal signing. Petr Cech, at 35, looks past his prime and bringing in young Ter Stegen who is good with his reflexes and his distribution would be an ideal addition to a team that could do with some defensive solidarity.
