The summer’s most likely transfer has been confirmed five months ahead of schedule, with Spanish radio reporting Barcelona and Borussia Mönchengladbach have agreed on a fee for goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen. The 21-year-old, set to turn 22 in April, will move to the Spanish champions this summer for €11-12 ($$14.8-16.2) million fee after seeing out the remainder of the 2013-14 season with Gladbach.
The fee had previously been reported by other outlets, with with today’s confirmation, the thin veil that obscured the move has been almost completely pulled off. After helping his current club try to secure a second consecutive top-four finish, the three-time German international will move to Catalonia to replace Víctor Váldes.
The current Barcelona goalkeeper will complete his 12th season with the Blaugrana in May, at which time he’ll be a free agent. Intent on playing out the last year of his deal, Váldes has been linked with a move to Ligue 1’s AS Monaco, who he could join after this summer’s World Cup.
As Váldes transitions out of the one shirt, he’s set to be replaced by another goalkeeper lined up for along spell in goal, with ter Stegen’s deal running through the 2018-19 season. Barcelona’s planning to hold off on his unveiling until Váldes has signed with another club.
Only 21, ter Stegen has already made 92 Bundesliga starts for Gladbach, for whom he’s debuted as an 18-year-old. Since then ter Stegen has grown into one of the best stop-stoppers in Germany, earning his first international appearance for Germany as a 20-year-old in May 2012.