HERE WE GO: MARC-ANDRE TER STEGEN REACHES TOTAL AGREEMENT WITH GIRONA FOR LOAN MOVE
Marc-Andre ter Stegen is set to join Girona on loan after Hansi Flick confirms Joan Garcia as Barcelona’s undisputed number one.
Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen looks set to leave the club on loan, with Girona lined up as his next stop. For years, ter Stegen was the man between the sticks at Camp Nou—over 400 games, five La Liga titles, five Copa del Reys, and a Champions League to his name. It all changed fast. After getting named Barca’s captain last August, he picked up a nasty knee injury that sidelined him for most of this season. Suddenly, Joan Garcia jumped ahead in the pecking order, and Hansi Flick made it clear: Garcia’s his guy now.
Ter Stegen’s only appearance this season was a Copa del Rey win over Guadalajara. Otherwise, he’s been watching from the bench. In December, Flick didn’t mince words. “Joan is number one,” he said, shutting down any talk about who’s next in line. Flick even stripped ter Stegen of the captaincy, and since then, the German keeper has turned down interest from West Ham. But a move within La Liga is picking up steam.
Honestly, you could see this coming since last summer. Flick praised Garcia as the future, and everyone at Barca seemed to agree. Communication with ter Stegen hasn’t always been smooth; Flick admitted that himself. Still, he insisted the club supports ter Stegen and wants him back at his best.
Now, according to Fabrizio Romano, ter Stegen—now 33—will join Girona on loan for the rest of the season. It’s not a permanent switch, but it gives him a shot at regular football.
With the World Cup on the horizon, ter Stegen needs minutes if he wants to start for Germany. Their sporting director, Rudi Voller, didn’t sugarcoat it: “Ter Stegen has to play. Especially after his injury, he needs matches to get back to his best.”
If the paperwork goes through quickly, ter Stegen could debut for Girona as soon as next Monday against Getafe. If not, he might start against Oviedo at the end of the month or even face Barcelona in the league on January 15. Either way, his long run at Camp Nou looks like it’s winding down.
DANNY MURPHY SLAMS MARCUS RASHFORD AS "TOO FAR GONE" FOR MANCHESTER UNITED
Danny Murphy reveals why Marcus Rashford will never return to Man Utd. Discover the latest on his £26m Barcelona permanent move.
Marcus Rashford’s future at Manchester United looks dead in the water. It doesn’t matter who takes over from Michael Carrick; Rashford isn’t getting back in that squad. After his loan at Aston Villa last year, Rashford switched to Barcelona for the season, and honestly, he’s been on fire there—eight goals, eleven assists. That kind of form has some United fans hoping they’ll see their hometown guy back in red next season. But not everyone’s convinced.
Danny Murphy, the former Liverpool midfielder, didn’t sugarcoat it when he spoke to BOYLE Sports. He said Rashford needs to move on and find a new challenge away from United. Murphy’s take? “Carrick, or whoever gets the job, won’t have the power to change the club’s mind about Rashford. He’s had his chances. Most of the fans have turned against him anyway.”
Murphy thinks Rashford’s already gone, at least in spirit. Even if he doesn’t seal a permanent move to Barcelona, he’d be better off somewhere else. And you can see why—he looks free out there in Spain. When he came off the bench against Real Madrid, he looked sharp, like the Rashford everyone used to rave about. Murphy’s convinced: Rashford’s United days are done, no matter who’s sitting in the manager’s chair.
And Rashford’s situation is just one headache waiting for United’s next boss. Then there’s Kobbie Mainoo. The young midfielder finally got a Premier League start this season and helped United beat Manchester City 2-0. Murphy says Mainoo actually has a shot at sticking around, especially now that Ruben Amorim’s gone.
Murphy put it bluntly: “You don’t pick players just to keep the fans happy, but you do want to give everyone a fair chance. For some reason, Amorim just wouldn’t give Mainoo a look-in, which is odd because the kid’s a serious talent. Sure, he said Mainoo was up against Bruno Fernandes for a spot, but Mainoo’s played central midfield for both his country and United in big matches. He’s shown he can do the job, even if there’s still a bit to work on defensively. Ignoring him completely? That was just strange from Amorim.”
FRENKIE DE JONG IS RIGHT: LA LIGA REFEREES ARE KILLING THE GAME'S EXCITEMENT
Frenkie de Jong didn’t hold back after Barcelona’s loss to Sociedad. Read his shocking comments on referee Gil Manzano here.
Frenkie de Jong didn’t hide his anger after Barcelona’s 2-1 loss to Real Sociedad on Sunday night. Right after the final whistle, he went off on referee Gil Manzano, saying the official looked at him like, “I’m better than you.” De Jong’s frustration was written all over his face.
Barcelona had a rough night in Anoeta. Two goals got called off—one from Lamine Yamal that looked pretty dubious—and a penalty got overturned. The team’s 11-game winning run crashed to a halt, and you could feel the players’ disbelief.
Mikel Oyarzabal put Sociedad ahead before halftime, but Marcus Rashford got Barca back in it with an equaliser in the second half. The celebration didn’t last long, though. Goncalo Guedes slipped in the winner right after Jules Kounde rattled the crossbar and Alex Remiro pulled off some ridiculous saves.
By full-time, De Jong had had enough. When DAZN España caught up with him, he tried to keep it together at first. “We deserved to win. We created plenty of chances but just didn’t finish. We played well, but in the end, we didn’t win. Their keeper had a great night,” he said.
Then the topic of those disallowed goals came up. “If it’s offside, it’s offside. There’s nothing more to it. I haven’t seen the replays. They told us it wasn’t offside. I told the fourth official, “Something just like this happened last year here.”
But when he turned his attention to Manzano, De Jong really let loose. “The thing is, you can’t even talk to the ref. I’m the captain, and I still don’t get it. He looks at me like he’s above me. It’s so frustrating. You just can’t act like that.”
“We missed a lot of chances, and that’s what stings the most. Right at the end, I told him to look at the clock—taking a goal kick took a full minute. That’s normal, but he didn’t even add ten seconds. That’s just crazy. I told him so, and he gave me a card.”
Even with the loss, things aren’t all bad for Barcelona. Hansi Flick’s side still sits on top of La Liga, a point ahead of Real Madrid. The winning streak is over, but the team’s still leading the pack and heads to Sparta Prague for their next Champions League match on Wednesday.