At Barça, where he has long been the number one, ter Stegen remains under contract until 2028. Nevertheless, the 34-year-old is unlikely to figure in the Spanish champions’ future plans, making a departure during the summer transfer window likely.
His footballing qualities make him an ideal fit for Ajax’s philosophy and the playing style of new coach Michel, while his leadership and 44 caps for Germany would bolster a squad that underperformed last term.
Ajax, who have gone four years without a league title, were never in contention for the Eredivisie crown. They finished 28 points adrift of champions PSV Eindhoven in fifth place, suffered a 0-6 thrashing by AZ Alkmaar in the Dutch Cup round of 16, and slumped to 32nd in the Champions League group stage, well short of the knockout phase.
Jordi Cruyff and his technical team have been charged with rebuilding a squad capable of reclaiming domestic supremacy and returning to the European elite—a level last reached when the club reached the 2019 Champions League semi-finals. Ajax’s most celebrated European campaigns date back to the early 1970s, when the club won three consecutive European Cups, and to the 1995 Champions League triumph featuring Patrick Kluivert, Clarence Seedorf and Edgar Davids.
