La Liga approves Barcelona’s request to replace Marc-Andre ter Stegen

Barcelona’s financial situation during the summer transfer window was not as flowery as the president painted in press conferences.

Despite his repeated assurances that the club is well placed to register new signings, they struggled to incorporate Dani Olmo into La Liga and even had to let go of Ilkay Gundogan from the team to create space on the wage bill.

News of Marc-Andre Ter Stegen’s injury thus raised concern over Barcelona’s ability to sign a replacement and Mundo Deportivo brings forth good news to the club faithful on that front.

Green light from La Liga

As relayed by the Spanish outlet, La Liga have approved Barcelona to make use of Article 77 to register a new goalkeeper in place of Ter Stegen who is ruled out for the season.

Wojciech Szczesny is close to joining Barcelona. (Photo by Jonathan Moscrop/Getty Images)

The regulation stipulates that clubs can sign a replacement if a player is ruled out for four months or more through a serious injury and Barcelona wasted no time in pushing for its application after the German’s setback.

Joan Laporta and Co. sent the player’s medical reports to La Liga with all information about the player’s setback, the prognosis and the route of treatment. The league, in turn, forwarded the reports to four expert traumatologists.

The four doctors individually evaluated the player’s files and provided the green light over the reports’ legitimacy and confirmed that Ter Stegen is ruled out for the long term. Now, La Liga has given Barcelona the green light for a new signing.

With the regulation now in force for them, the Blaugrana can sign any free agent and register him in La Liga using 80% of Ter Stegen’s bill. Everything, thus, is ready for the arrival of Wojciech Szczesny who is expected to undergo medicals tomorrow.