Anxiety has increased inside the Dutch club Ajax due to the delay in finalizing the deal to sign the German Marc-André ter Stegen, Barcelona's goalkeeper, on loan.
Marc ter Stegen
Club: Girona
Despite the player's agreement with Ajax on his salary during the 2026-2027 season, the deal has not yet been completed due to the failure to finalize the tax details related to his contract.
Mundo Deportivo revealed that Ajax officials expressed their surprise at the delay in completing the agreement despite reaching most of the terms, warning of the possibility of the deal collapsing if the delay continues.
The Dutch club is seeking to resolve the goalkeeping situation as quickly as possible, especially with the start of the preparation period and two friendly matches, the first of which they lost to Panathinaikos 3-1, and won the second against AEK Larnaca 1-0.
The report indicated that the tax file is the reason for the delay in the deal so far.
The German goalkeeper's contract with Barcelona extends until 2028, while both parties await the resolution of the tax file, especially since the agreement includes Barcelona bearing the majority of the player's salary, with variables linked to the number of his appearances.
Ajax is expected to face Bochum and Olympiacos in friendlies, before playing their first match in the UEFA Europa Conference League on July 23, which increases their desire to sign the goalkeeper quickly.
In contrast, ter Stegen is preparing to be present at Barcelona's training headquarters to undergo medical examinations, after recovering from a hamstring injury he sustained during his previous loan spell at Girona last January, which kept him out of the World Cup.
The German goalkeeper played on loan at Girona last season before the injury that ended his season.
Girona were relegated to the second division.
Spanish coach Miguel Ángel Sánchez Muñoz (Míchel) moved from Girona to coach Ajax in the new season.
The 34-year-old goalkeeper's contract with Barcelona extends until 2028.
Ter Stegen receives an annual salary of around 15 million euros.
Barcelona rely on Joan García as the first-choice goalkeeper after signing him last summer from city rivals Espanyol.
Meanwhile, Polish goalkeeper Wojciech Szczęsny always sits on the bench.