Barcelona Transfer News: Latest on Marc-Andre ter Stegen Rumours, January Moves

Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen continues to be the subject of transfer rumours, with Liverpool and Manchester United reportedly interested. Meanwhile, the Catalans have already registered no fewer than 77 players since their transfer embargo expired.

According to the Sun (h/t Calciomercato.com, via Metro's Tom Olver), United have joined Liverpool in the hunt for Ter Stegen, Barcelona's 23-year-old stopper who is mainly used in the UEFA Champions League and sits behind Claudio Bravo in the pecking order.

The Germany international was widely expected to become the club's unquestionable starter when he joined in 2014, but Bravo's strong form and inconsistency on Ter Stegen's part has so far stopped that from happening.

He has struggled with his positioning and made a number of key errors on long shots earlier this season, playing far off his line to act as an outlet in the passing game. This goal from Roma's Alessandro Florenzi is a prime example:

Ter Stegen has flashed all of the talent that convinced Barcelona to invest in his services, and he remains one of the top prospects at the position. But right now, he's stuck behind Bravo, and with an eye on the upcoming Euro 2016 tournament, that doesn't sit well with some pundits.

Bleacher Report's Clark Whitney took issue with the reported asking price:

Speculation has heated up significantly of late, as Liverpool in particular could use an upgrade in goal and would offer the youngster a viable escape plan from the Camp Nou. It's unlikely Ter Stegen wants to leave at this point, although that will change if he doesn't see an increase in playing time soon.

He's too talented to sit on the bench, and while Bravo isn't a young keeper, he still has plenty of years at the top level remaining, turning 33 before the end of the campaign.

Per the Times' Tony Barrett, Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has played down rumours he's looking at Ter Stegen, and Guillem Balague of Sky Sports maintains Barcelona will not sell in January:

The reported interest from United won't change that. Per the report, the Red Devils are eyeing Ter Stegen as a replacement for David De Gea should the latter move to Real Madrid, but there have been no indications such a move is likely in the summer.

Ter Stegen's long-term potential is too tantalising to pass up for the Blaugrana, and unless an interested club makes a ridiculous offer, the German won't be going anywhere.

Meanwhile, Barcelona have reacted to the news their 14-month transfer embargo is over by registering no fewer than 77 players, per the Daily Mirror's Ed Malyon.

The biggest names are Aleix Vidal and Arda Turan, the club's two top signings during the summer, who have spent the last couple of months waiting for their chance to don the iconic blue-and-red kit. La Liga blogger Sergi Dominguez praised their patience:

Turan and Vidal are the only two first-team players who have been registered, but they've been joined by 75 more players across a variety of levels. Talented youngsters Lee Seung Woo and Paik Ho are among the group, as is Daniel Gudjohnsen, the son of former Barcelona striker Eidur Gudjohnsen.

In a final ironic twist, the Catalans' transfer embargo officially ended on Friday, but New Year's Day is an official holiday in Spain, and as a result, the players could not be registered until Monday―leaving Turan and Vidal ineligible to play in Saturday's La Liga match against Espanyol.

With the two stars now finally registered, they could both make their debuts in midweek, when the Blaugrana again face Espanyol, this time in the Copa del Rey.

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