Marc-Andre ter Stegen signs for Barcelona from Borussia Monchengladbach as Catalan giants bid farewell to Jose Manuel Pinto

By DAVID KENT

Barcelona have confirmed the signing of German goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen and announced Jose Manuel Pinto will not be offered a new contract at the club.

Pinto has deputised during the season-long injury to first-choice Victor Valdes but the club says he'll be leaving the club now his deal has expired.

Ter Stegen, 22, was linked to the Catalan giants last year but denied he had any plans to move on from Borussia Monchengladbach.

However speculation was aroused further when four times-capped Germany keeper refused a new deal with the Bundesliga club when it was offered in January this year.

+4Nou keeper: Barcelona has confirmed the signing of Marc-Andre ter Stegen from Borussia Mönchengladbach

+4Moving up: Ter Stegen has played four times for Germany and announced in January he'd leave Germany

Monchengladbach conceded the loss of Ter Stegen this month with the signing of Swiss international Yann Sommer. The club said ter Stegen would head to a foreign club, well aware of his destination.

'After Marc-Andre ter Stegen informed us that he definitely wants to leave at end of season, we have now reached an agreement with his new club on the transfer arrangements. He will move abroad,' Borussia sporting director Max Eberl said on March 10.

Ter Stegen played his youth football at Monchengladbach before making his senior debut in 2011 aged just 18.

+4Service: Jose Manuel Pinto is set to leave Barcelona after six-and-a-half years

Valdes wrote an open letter to fans to say goodbye, which was released by Barcelona last week. Having not played since last month after a season-ending ligament tear and surgery in his right knee, he'd already said in January that he'd be leaving his boyhood club.

An official statement paid tribute to long-haired Pinto after six-and-a-half year's service since replacing Albert Jorquera in 2008.

'The Board of Directors want to publicly thank the professionalism and dedication of Jose Manuel Pinto throughout his time at the club.'

+4On the way: Victor Valdes is leaving Barcelona after 12 years, with his next location unconfirmed

The announcement came as Luis Enrique was named the new manager of Barca, replacing Gerardo Martino who stepped down by mutual agreement at the weekend after a 1-1 draw with Atletico Madrid left them second in La Liga.

Barca is also set to recall loan players Gerard Deulofeu, who spent last season at Everton, and Rafinha, who's been at Celta Vigo, to their first team squad for the next campaign.

Is pinto even going. i thought only valdes was. anyway, ter stegen is suposed to be a good goalkeeper.

they are even getting ukraine attacking mid, alen halilovic from dynamo zagreb.

So happy :)

Massip will also join Barça A, our Barça B GK and young talent did great this year...

Scout Scuffet too.

Hope poor Oier gets couple of games this season.

so do i @dephased.

Finally a smart signing.

I feel Barca could have done better tbh.. Ter Stegen is not exactly a World class keeper yet but has potential.. They've been linked with him for a long time, guess they finally got their target. Hope he has a good season and can get a spot in the DFB squad in future.

^ Possibly..

The only other good options were Leno and Navas.