"Hot potato": Bar?a appears to have found a solution regarding ter Stegen.

Girona FC v Getafe CF - LaLiga EA Sports

Marc-André ter Stegen remains under contract at FC Barcelona, yet his sporting future there is over. The club is therefore said to be ready to offload the goalkeeper, with a loan move the most likely outcome.

According to Spanish sports newspaper Mundo Deportivo, a permanent transfer for ter Stegen—who is under contract with the Catalans until 2028—would be highly complicated. Not only does the former captain earn a hefty salary, but his recent injury problems also mean that few clubs will want to take on the financial risk of a permanent transfer. 

Last summer, Barça signed Joan Garcia from Espanyol as their new first-choice goalkeeper. Marc-André ter Stegen, sidelined for much of the first half of the season with a back injury, moved on loan to Girona in January to regain match sharpness and secure his place as Germany's number one for the World Cup. 

However, after only two appearances for Girona, he sustained a thigh injury that sidelined him for an extended period, effectively ending his World Cup hopes. 

Marc-Andre ter Stegen

Barça will cover the majority of Ter Stegen's salary.

According to the report, once ter Stegen is fit again, Barça intend to loan him out once more; the newspaper has already labelled him a "hot potato" in the squad. As with the Girona deal, the Blaugrana will probably have to subsidise a significant chunk of the 34-year-old's wages for any suitor to take a real interest. 

A return to Girona is impossible, as the club was relegated at the weekend. 

Ter Stegen has been at the club for twelve years, having joined from Borussia Mönchengladbach in 2014 for a fee of twelve million euros. 

Marc-Andre ter Stegen's statistics at FC Barcelona: