Tuesday, 29th October, 2013
Barcelona look set to give Chelsea-contracted Thibaut Courtois a miss, as the Catalan club put Marc-Andre ter Stegen in line to replace Victor Valdes next season in a €10m deal.
According to German outlet Bild, a draft agreement has been reached between Barcelona and Ter Stegen's employers Borussia Monchengladbach.
Ter Stegen's contract runs out in 2015 and he was one of the contenders alongside Courtois, who is on loan at Atletico Madrid.
Valdes' decision to not renew his Barcelona contract next summer has sparked a flurry of reports on potential successors.
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And it would appear Barcelona are most keen on Ter Stegen with technical director Andoni Zubizarreta, himself a former goalkeeper, leading talks with the German club.
Zubizarreta is understood to have held talks with Ter Stegen's agent, with a four-year deal on the cards and a transfer fee in the region of €10m.
The revelations come even as Ter Stegen's agent had claimed earlier this month that the Barcelona link was just speculation and that a contract extension was most likely.
Ter Stegen has spent all his professional career with Gladbach, graduating to the senior squad in 2010.
He has been a mainstay in the Gladbach goal in the last two seasons and has already made 10 Bundesliga appearances in 2013/14.
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