Chelsea are reportedly ready to solve their goalkeeper question with a bold January transfer offer.
Enzo Maresca remains unconvinced over Robert Sanchez and Filip Jorgensen as the Blues No.1 despite the former showing improved form this season.
Sanchez has stepped up in key moments, but consistency remains an issue for the Span international, as shown by his red card against Manchester United earlier in the campaign.
Maresca will have a limited budget to work with at the start of 2026 but he could be tempted into a cut-price offer for Barcelona captain Marc-Andre ter Stegen.
Despite retaining the captaincy in Catalonia, Ter Stegen remains at the heart of controversy, following his summer stand-off with the club hierarchy.
Ter Stegen spent the majority of Barcelona 2024/25 treble-winning campaign sidelined with a knee injury before returning in May.
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His absence was covered by a La Liga loophole which allows players injured for over four months to have their ‘salary space utilised to sign a replacement and Hansi Flick coaxed Wojciech Szczesny out of retirement.
However, the situation took a further twist in June, as Barcelona signed Joan Garcia from Espanyol and Szczesny agreed a contract extension until 2027.
Ter Stegen’s subsequent back surgery opened up the ‘salary space’ option again to register, but the German initially refused to release his medical report to allow that, which triggered a comical row.
All sides eventually relented, and Ter Stegen remained in place amid major criticism from the club, and Garcia’s paperwork was wrapped up.
Ter Stegen is due back to full fitness by January, and that will present Flick with a fresh headache, if he cannot offload the former Borussia Monchengladbach man.
Germany boss Julian Nagelsmann has warned Ter Stegen over his Germany place being at risk if he is not first-choice somewhere and reports from Teamtalk.com claim Chelsea could step in.
As Ter Stegen is still under contract until 2028, a loan until the end of 2025/26 is the most likely offer put forward, as Barcelona eye a sale after the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
