Al-Ittihad 'make contact with Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen'
Saudi Pro League champions Al-Ittihad have supposedly made contact with the entourage of Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen.
The Germany international has served as La Blaugrana's number one goalkeeper for almost a decade, joining in 2014 to succeed predecessors Claudio Bravo and Victor Valdes.
Ter Stegen has made a name for himself as one of the finest goalkeepers on the planet since joining La Blaugrana, and he is now just two appearances shy of reaching the 400 mark for the club.
From his first 398 matches in a Barca jersey, Ter Stegen has recorded 166 clean sheets, including nine shut-outs from 21 matches in 2023-24, often serving as captain in the absence of Sergi Roberto.
The former Borussia Monchengladbach man has won 16 major honours in a Barcelona jersey, including the Champions League, Club World Cup and five La Liga titles, and he penned a new long-term contract until 2028 last summer.
Ter Stegen is believed to be one of the few players at the club deemed untouchable by the Barca hierarchy, and his release clause was set at a staggering €500m (£427.9m) upon his renewal last year.
Nevertheless, journalist Matteo Moretto reports that Al-Ittihad could try their luck in the summer and have already touched base with the 31-year-old's camp to gauge his interest in a move to Saudi Arabia.
However, the Saudi Arabian champions have apparently not yet made contact with Barcelona to negotiate a fee, and there is no desire on the player's side to leave Camp Nou just yet.
Ter Stegen would undoubtedly be offered a more lucrative salary in Saudi Arabia, where he would reunite with former Barca teammate Franck Kessie, who currently dons the Al-Ahli shirt.
The 31-year-old is still believed to be comfortable in
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