Ter Stegen to Travel with Barcelona for First Friendly

German international goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen will surprisingly travel with Barcelona for their pre-season friendly against Birmingham City, according to local reports. The shot-stopper is believed to be on the verge of a move to Ajax, a rumor that first surfaced in early July, but the transfer has yet to be finalized, with the reasons remaining unclear. Ter Stegen began pre-season training with the squad and is currently the first-choice keeper, as regular starter Joan Garcia was part of the Spain squad that won the World Cup and is currently on vacation. With only Wojciech Szczęsny available at the moment, the German will board the plane for Friday's friendly in England, although he is expected to remain on the bench.

Ter Stegen's situation changed dramatically last summer with the acquisition of Joan Garcia. The German's status plummeted from being one of the team's captains to a highly undesirable player, for whom a new club was urgently sought. During the winter transfer window, he moved to Girona but only made two appearances before suffering another injury and returning to the Catalan club for treatment.