Defender blind to return?
©IMAGO
The World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico will take place without Marc-André ter Stegen due to another injury setback. For the 34-year-old, the focus is now on his sporting future – which, according to media reports, could not be in Spain, but in the Netherlands. According to the newspapers “Mundo Deportivo” and “Sport”, Ajax Amsterdam’s new coach Míchel is committed to signing Ter Stegen.
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 | M. ter Stegen |
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goalkeeper | ||||||||||
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The German keeper moved from FC Barcelona to FC Girona in January on loan for the rest of the season in order to get the match practice demanded by national coach Julian Nagelsmann in order to become number one at the World Cup. A plan that was to fall through due to a serious thigh injury suffered against Real Oviedo (0-1) on January 31st. Ter Stegen only guarded his new employer’s box twice, on January 26th and January 31st. He apparently still left an impression on coach Míchel, who left Girona after five years and the unavoidable relegation and started a new chapter at Ajax.
The 50-year-old Spaniard was presented in Amsterdam on Tuesday. Jordi Cruijff, Technical Director at Ajax, said: “Míchel is an ambitious and demanding coach. I am convinced that he will transfer his vision and his intensive way of working to our squad.” This vision reportedly also includes a transfer of ter Stegen, but this is not the only option. The biggest obstacle in this project is the salary of the veteran, who is expected to make a comeback in the next few days.
A new goalkeeper is one of the overarching transfer goals of Míchel and manager Cruijff. Iñaki Peña (27), who was also loaned to Elche from Barcelona, was also discussed. There is also talk of Bayer Leverkusen’s Mark Flekken (32). The identified Ajax target Ter Stegen no longer has a future with the Catalans despite a contract valid until 2028. He plays no role in coach Hansi Flick’s plans, which is why both sides should be open to permanent change. It is said that Ter Stegen is considering a sporting project in which he can feel important again and play continuously. Interest in ter Stegen was also reported in the Netherlands. The goalkeeper is expected to earn up to 18 million euros gross per year in Barcelona.
Ajax Amsterdam is facing upheaval – will Blind return?
After a disappointing season in fifth place, Ajax is facing an intensive transfer summer, and a new, competitive team is to be built around Míchel. There isn’t much time for that because the first phase of the Conference League is scheduled for August 6th. “Sport” writes about candidate ter Stegen: “The transfer fits perfectly into the plans of Jordi Cruijff, who is determined to sign players who can make the difference both on and off the pitch.”
According to the newspaper, defender Daley Blind is about to return to Ajax – the 36-year-old’s contract with FC Girona is expiring. The 108-time Dutch national player Blind, who was on loan for FC Bayern in the second half of the 2022/23 season, has already played 333 competitive games for the Amsterdam team (13 goals, 21 assists). However, according to journalist Mike Verweij, the personnel is not that hot.
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 | D. Blind |
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Central defender | ||||||||||
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