Manchester City are close to confirming the signing of Barcelona keeper Marc-Andre Ter Stegen, according to The Telegraph. The German joined the Catalans nearly two years ago but has failed to cement a first-team spot after a string of inconsistent performances.
The German is very highly rated and has age on his side given he's 23. However, the pressure of playing for a club the size of Barcelona is often understated. His move away from Barcelona has been touted for a while – even by himself – and he had two main suitors in Manchester City and Liverpool.
The German chose City for the chance to work under Pep Guardiola and decided to overlook compatriot Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool. This is the second player - linked with both the clubs - to choose Pep over Jurgen, the other being Borussia Dortmund midfielder Ilkay Gundagon.
It is reported Ter Stegen would cost City around £20 million and considering the potential and his market value, it looks to be a steal for Pep Guardiola's Manchester City. With the arrival of the former Borussia Monchengladbach man, Willy Caballero is expected to follow Manuel Pellegrini out of Manchester after failing to usurp Joe Hart as the Citizen's first choice keeper.
Apart from signing a new keeper, it is reported that Pep Guardiola has instructed his future club to sign a midfielder, a centre back and a new striker – essentially forming a new spine with the likes of Vincent Kompany, Yaya Toure and many more expected to leave the club at the end of the season.
Pep is also interested in bringing a host of Barcelona stars into the City lineup with the likes of Sergio Busquets and – ridiculously – Lionel Messi. The former has a significantly higher chance of coming to England with Pep as he's often spoken of the importance of his former coach in his career and how he'd like to work with again in the future.
