Barca’s Next Best Player After Messi To Make Chelsea Move? Club Responds To Rumors

FC Barcelona have made it clear that their goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen is among the few players in the club who are "non-transferable" amid rumors about the player’s move to Chelsea ahead of the summer market.

Kepa Arrizabalag became the world’s most expensive goalkeeper when Chelsea signed him for $91 million in 2018. However, he has been making way too many errors that have cost Chelsea several games this season that have also seen The Blues boss, Frank Lampard, even drop the goalkeeper from the squad briefly. It is understood that Lampard is now looking to get rid of the 25-year-old Spaniard and has identified Atletico Madrid’s Jan Oblak and Barcelona’s Ter Stegen as ideal replacements.

As Chelsea are looking to sign a world-class goalkeeper, they had hoped to temp the La Liga sides by including Kepa in a high-priced deal.

According to a report in Spanish publication Mundo Deportivo, Barcelona have received no interest from Chelsea but the former La Liga champions have said Ter Stegen is currently "non-transferable" as he has been their second-most valuable player after captain Lionel Messi on and off the field.

Ter Stegen’s current contract with Barcelona is due to expire June 2022 and the report has further revealed that the Catalans are in talks with their prized shot-stopper over a lucrative new deal and the club is not even considering letting the player leave any time soon.

It is also been reported that Atletico Madrid are not willing to talk about Oblak’s transfer and that would force Lampard to drop the idea of signing Kepa’s replacement this summer. According to the U.K.-based media outlet Metro, Kepa could be given another opportunity to fight for the spot of Chelsea’s No. 1 goalkeeper with the hope that the threat to his Chelsea career could bring the best out of the young Spanish shot-stopper.

The Metro report also said Chelsea could go after affordable players such as Ajax’s Andre Onana or Burnley’s Nick Pope as veteran Willy Caballero, who is Chelsea’s back up keeper, is set to make way despite signing a contract extension and being in good terms with Lampard.