Should Tottenham be looking at 33yo Barca icon amid transfer rumors? – Opinion

While the German shot-stopper is thirty-three (33) now, he has been an integral part of what Barcelona has been doing for the majority of the last decade.

He moved to the Catalan giants from Borussia Mönchengladbach in 2014. And in his time donning the Barca badge, Marc has won five La Liga titles and a Champions League. While doing so, he has also established himself as one of the most technically gifted keepers of his generation.

He has this ability to be calm under pressure and play out from the back. And then he is also accurate with his distribution and has this knack for launching transitional movements. Many supporters in Spain majorly looked at him as the first playmaker when he was the undisputed #1 at Barcelona.

But there is more; he also has the reflexes to stop most of what comes his way. And Barcelona sporting director Deco recently labelled him “great” professional and a leader.

But time caught up with him. Ter Stegen has been battling with a ruptured patellar tendon which has kept him on the fringes for much of this season. And given his age, he is definitely not as mobile and doesn’t have the same reflexes as he used to boast.

With Joan Garcia taking up his number one role at Camp Nou, when the German returns, questions will have to be asked about what the Spanish giants are going to do with him. Will they reinstate him as first choice between the sticks (which looks highly unlikely) or cash in while he still has some market value?

And this is where Tottenham have smelt an opportunity…

Why Tottenham are exploring a Marc-Andre ter Stegen transfer

While many would look at this move as a short-term upgrade from the current goalkeeping situation, it is also about intent.

While Guglielmo Vicario has been an outstanding signing, he has had his weaknesses, which have come through time and again. And that is where you need someone to stabilise the ship while Vicario continues to work on his craft, or you get a new face from the market.

Bringing in someone with Ter Stegen’s pedigree can help bring a big change in mentality in that dressing room.

The 33-year-old has played over 400 games for Barcelona and has been part of a relentless winning culture. It is exactly the sort of culture that Tottenham and Frank are aspiring to build at Hotspur Way. But this is also a clear push from the top that the mantra around Hotspur Way is not survival; it’s ambition.

And given that Tottenham are competing in the Premier League as well as the Champions League. You need a rotational depth in the squad. This is where you can combine a veteran player with a young keeper. We see most of the big clubs doing that. You have Gianluigi Donnarumma with James Trafford at Manchester City. Then David Raya with Kepa Arrizabalaga at Arsenal. Alisson Becker with Giorgi Mamardashvili at Liverpool. And it’s time Tottenham started acting among the elites.

Moreover, Vinai is not a pushover. He is financially smart. He is thinking finance per se as he looks to exploit Barcelona’s current monetary crisis and get Ter Stegen on a possible bargain deal. Given that the Catalans remain under strict La Liga financial controls at the moment, Barca have a lot to gain by offloading Ter Stegen, who is earning around £ 17,967,818 per year. It is an exit which could help free up significant salary space for them.

But the move is not as straightforward as it appears on paper…

While this one looks like an ambitious headline transfer, there are a few pitfalls that Thomas Frank & Co. need to be wary about. And it starts with injuries.

While goalkeepers tend to have longer durability, the German already has a ruptured patellar tendon. This is one of the more serious injuries for a goalkeeper.

Ideally this can end up affecting the stability of the knee. It can directly impact one’s ability to dive, push off, or control their area.

So before signing him, the medical department at N17, which has been under fire lately, will have to make sure that his recovery is complete before Tottenham puts the money where their mouth is.

On paper, we could see this also being a thing of debate among the fans given how it can end up possibly disrupting Vicario’s development. Now Vicario has not been the best of the lot, but he has been developing and progressing slowly. And bringing in Ter Stegen risks unsettling that progress which he has had in the past couple of years at Hotspur Way.

And then there is that financial imbalance. He has that hefty per year salary attached to him, and it is highly unlikely for Tottenham to commit such a high figure for someone who is on the wrong side of thirties.

Author Opinion

This push to bring the German to Tottenham Hotspur stadium shows that the Lilywhites are not afraid anymore to sit at the European football table and have prominent conversations (as we saw with Simons’ transfer). But this transfer needs to be approached carefully. Ter Stegen has this injury problem, complemented by hefty wage demands, which means that bringing him to N17 only makes sense if he can elevate things in the short term while being a mentor to Vicario in the longer term.