Thursday, 2nd January, 2014
Borussia Monchengladbach sporting director Max Eberl admits the club are preparing for a potential Marc-Andre ter Stegen exit, both mentally and practically.
Ter Stegen's time at his boyhood club may end next summer should Barcelona succeed in tempting him away to Spain to be Victor Valdes' successor.
While Gladbach may hold some slight hope on a contract renewal beyond 2015, that is looking unlikely given that after coach Lucien Favre admitted to being realistic in the face of Barcelona's irresistible strengths.
But if the inevitable does occur, Eberl wants it taken in the most stoic of fashions, telling Bundesliga.com: "Should Marc leave us, then that's only normal in professional football.
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"Marc would just be the latest player to leave Borussia for one of the world's top clubs. That's nothing extraordinary.
"There is only one club in Germany who do not have to adhere to these rules and that's Bayern Munich. Even Borussia Dortmund have had to accept losing players like [Shinji] Kagawa, [Mario] Gotze and probably also [Robert] Lewandowski.
"That's why talking about a 'worst-case scenario' is anything but the way things are. Even without Marc, we would carry on undeterred."
And in practical terms, Gladbach are looking for replacements, with Fortuna Dusseldorf goalkeeper Fabian Giefer linked back in early November.
"Like always when it comes to continuity in the squad, we've got to have alternatives in mind", Eberl added.
"Of course we would be far happier if we could keep this team, which is developing so well, together, and we hope to be able to do that even in this case."
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