Marc-André ter Stegen refuses Premier League transfer, decides to stay at Barcelona

One of Barcelona's best young players is going nowhere.

It all started on Tuesday, when Diario Sport reported that 24-year-old goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen had told his family and the club about his decision to stay with the Blaugrana next season and fight harder for the undisputed starting spot against Claudio Bravo.

Then, to confirm the report, Ter Stegen gave an interview to Barça's website:

“It’s a lovely place to live. I feel fine here and want to stay at this club, and carry on with this nice life that I have.”

Source: FCBarcelona.com

The German keeper arrived from Borussia Mönchengladbach in 2014 as one of the most promising players in the Bundesliga, and spent his first season as Barça's Cup goalkeeper while Bravo handled the league duties, something he had done for eight years at Real Sociedad.

But with more experience in Spain and a key contribution in Barça's Copa del Rey and Champions League titles, Ter Stegen thought he would be the number one keeper in all competitions in his second season. But coach Luis Enrique decided to stick with his rotation system, and Ter Stegen was unhappy. Throughout the year, he said in various interviews he wasn't comfortable with his role and he could be looking to move in the summer.

Premier League giants like Liverpool and Manchester City quickly showed their interest and made offers to sign the German, and for a while it seemed like Ter Stegen would not be a Barça player next season.

But it's safe to say that's not the case. Stegen's staying.