Al-Ittihad send multi-million offer for Barcelona captain, player could be tempted

It hasn’t been long since Marc-Andre ter Stegen has returned to the pitch, after spending a prolonged spell on the sidelines owing to a back problem.

But only weeks after making a return to the pitch, ter Stegen has once again become a topic of discussion, with some doubting whether or not he will remain at Barcelona next season, especially amid interest from Saudi Arabia.

Al Ittihad makes offer for ter Stegen

Indeed, ter Stegen has become the latest target for Saudi Arabia, as the country look to add more glamour to the league by signing top-class footballers in the coming summer.

According to Jorge Picon, Al-Ittihad have tabled a ‘multi million dollar’ offer for ter Stegen and want to incorporate the services of the Barcelona goalkeeper at the end of the season.

It must be noted that Al-Ittihad is currently coached by Ramon Planes, former director at Barcelona, who has worked with ter Stegen for quite some time.

Al Ittihad are keen on ter Stegen this summer (Photo by Eric Alonso/Getty Images)

Al-Ittihad is also home to players such as Karim Benzema, Fabinho, N’Golo Kante and Luiz Felipe.

Saudi Arabia, in general, have roped in superstars like Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar, Ruben Neves, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic and Aymeric Laporta, among several others. As a result, it has become an attractive destination for European stars in their prime.

Will ter Stegen jump ship this summer?

Ter Stegen’s potential departure from Barcelona in the coming summer will not augur well for the club.

But before jumping to conclusions, it is worth pointing out that ter Stegen enjoys immense respect at Barça and is one of the captains. On the performance front, he was given La Liga’s player of the year of his last season.

The German also notably extended his contract last year and his deal at Camp Nou does not expire until 2028. Although Barcelona have asked him to take a paycut, it seemed unlikely ter Stegen would want to leave the Catalan capital anytime soon.

However, an offer such as this could make the 31-year-old and the club rethink their stance. It will mean a huge salary hike for the goalkeeper, and for club, it could bring in some much-needed revenue.

A major factor could be his prospects for the German national team, though. With Manuel Neuer reaching the twilight of his career, it is finally time for ter Stegen to become the prominent number for Die Mannschaft.

A move to Saudi, in that regard, may ruin his prospects, especially with Euros just around the corner.