As: Barca Desperately Seeks Ter Stegen Replacement; Transfer Rules Limit Options

In the match between Barcelona and Villarreal, Barcelona’s goalkeeper Ter Stegen was carried off the field with a severe injury. According to AS, the current situation is that Barcelona is urgently seeking a replacement for Ter Stegen, but the transfer window has already closed and the “Braithwaite rule” is no longer valid, meaning Barcelona can only sign free agents, and their salaries are also restricted.

The injured Ter Stegen cried while holding his knee, indicating signs of a serious injury. If doctors confirm that he may be out of action for four months or even longer, then Barcelona will urgently seek a replacement player in the market.

The current transfer window has closed, but if a player is currently unemployed or had already terminated their contract with their previous club before the closure of the transfer window, it is still possible for them to register in La Liga. Such rules significantly limit the range of candidates Barcelona can choose from as a replacement.

According to La Liga regulations, if a player is injured long-term (four months or more), La Liga allows 80% of the injured player’s salary to be used for registering a new player, even if the club’s salary exceeds the limit. Considering Ter Stegen’s income is close to 9 million euros, if Barcelona introduces a new goalkeeper, the salary must be limited to less than 7 million euros.

AS also reported that in 2020, when Dembele suffered a serious injury, Barcelona activated a “special clause” and signed Braithwaite from Leganes by paying a release clause after the transfer window had closed. This became known as the “Braithwaite rule.” At that time, the introduction of players from other teams after the transfer window closed was based on Article 124, Clause 3 of the La Liga General Regulations. However, since 2021, La Liga has no longer allowed this option.

In summary, Barcelona can only replace Ter Stegen with free agents currently available, and there are also restrictions on salaries. Under these conditions, the options for goalkeepers that Barcelona can choose from are very limited.