Barcelona bid farewell to seven-time La Liga champion in season-long loan to Dutch giants

Marc-André ter Stegen has won seven La Liga titles with Barcelona -Credit:Pablo Rodriguez/Quality Sport Images/Getty Images German international goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen has waved farewell to Camp Nou for a second time this year, joining Dutch side Ajax for the 2026-2027 season on loan.

>The 34-year-old, who has won seven La Liga titles and a UEFA Champions League in the 12 years since joining Barcelona from Borussia Mönchengladbach, spent the second half of last season on loan at Girona, making just two appearances as his injury issues crept up once again.

>Barcelona’s starting shot-stopper for the majority of his time in Spain, injuries began to take their toll during the 2023-2024 season, with the 44-time German international sidelined for almost all of the following season and a half. While Ter Stegen was able to return to Barcelona’s bench in late 2025, he had to settle with playing backup before joining Girona with an eye to starting regularly once more.

Donald Trump sparks outrage with Harry Kane World Cup comments • >Donald Trump addresses Gianni Infantino's World Cup sale plans, amidst Kushner linksTer Stegen made two appearances for Girona last season -Credit:Bruno Penas/Quality Sport Images/Getty ImagesUnfortunately, not long after joining Míchel Sánchez’s side, a hamstring injury ended his season once again.

>Now, with just two years remaining on his deal with Barcelona, Ter Stegen heads to four-time European champions Ajax, after they recently appointed Míchel as their new head coach.

>Announcing Ter Stegen’s loan, Barcelona seemed to suggest he could yet have a future with the club, stating, “A Champions League winner with Barça in 2015 and the holder of 21 trophies in blaugrana, Ter Stegen has made 423 appearances for the club, making him the 11th player with the most official appearances for FC Barcelona and the second-highest foreign appearance-maker, behind only Leo Messi. Now, at Ajax, he will be looking to rediscover the outstanding form he displayed so often during his time at Barça.”

>Following Ter Stegen’s arrival, ex-Barcelona midfielder and current Ajax technical director Jordi Cruijff said, “Marc has an outstanding track record, and his qualities are widely recognized. He is an immediate addition to our squad.

>“Marc and I know each other well, and I’m looking forward to working with him again. We have been working on bringing him here for quite some time, so we’re very pleased that he has signed his contract and can now get started.”

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>As for Ter Stegen, he told club media that “When I first spoke with Jordi Cruijff, I immediately felt it was the right option. I know the coach, and I also know Daley Blind. I spoke with them about the project, and they were very convincing.”

>The veteran keeper went on to note that he is fit and ready to return to action, explaining that he is driven to help Ajax return to the top after several tough seasons.

>“I think that bringing back the club that is such a historical club, a club that has a lot of power also, not only in the Netherlands, but also on the big stage of football,” he said. “We have to bring back that club to where it belongs and I'm very much looking forward to get it done.”

>The 36-time Eredivisie champions and 20-time KNVB Cup winners have now gone three consecutive seasons without adding to their trophy cabinet, finishing third, fifth, and second over the course of the last three league campaigns.

>Perhaps unsurprisingly, they have been particularly active in this summer’s transfer market, bringing in not only Ter Stegen but former Germany teammate Julian Brandt and the aforementioned Blind on free transfers. They have also shelled out just shy of €20 million ($22.88 million) for striker Marcos Leonardo from Al-Hilal, an undisclosed fee for AS Monaco left back Caio Henrique, and brought in Wolverhampton Wanderers forward Tolu Arokodare on loan.