Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen has turned down a move to Premier League strugglers West Ham United, choosing to remain in Spain for family reasons, according to Talksport.
The Hammers had hoped to hijack the signature of the German international from Girona, as they look to solve their goalkeeping dilemma.
The London club are in the market for goalkeeping reinforcement to provide competition for French international Alphonse Areola. Despite signing Mads Hermansen last summer from Leicester City, the goalkeeper struggled to impress for the Hammers, making costly errors while he also conceded eight goals in his first two matches.
Ter Stegen joined Barcelona in 2014 from Borussia Monchengladbach and has enjoyed a hugely successful spell at the club, winning six La Liga titles, six Copa del Rey, as well as the UEFA Champions League.
However, doubts have grown over his future at the club since he suffered a ruptured patellar tendon early in the 2024-25 season, which was followed by the immediate arrival of former Arsenal goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny, as well as the summer signing of Joan Garcia from Espanyol.
The 33-year-old has made just a single appearance across all competitions for the Blaugrana this season and with an eye on securing a place in Germany’s squad for the FIFA World Cup later this year, he had been expected to leave in search of regular playing time, particularly with Garcia now established as Barcelona’s first-choice goalkeeper.
While the Spanish champions would have preferred a deal for Ter Stegen to move to West Ham United due to the financial implications, the club has opted to respect the goalkeeper’s wishes and a loan transfer with Girona until the end of the current campaign could be completed in the coming days.
