This time was inevitably going to come. When Barcelona signed Claudio Bravo and Marc-Andre ter Stegen as replacements for Victor Valdes in the summer of 2014, the Chilean was the experienced head in La Liga, the German a man for the future. So letting the South American leave merely means that things have gone to plan.
Bravo was everything that the Catalan club had hoped he would be. Having spent several years at Real Sociedad, he came in and provided experience in La Liga in Luis Enrique's debut season while Ter Stegen started in the Champions League and the Copa del Rey. In the end, Barca won it all that year - and the two goalkeepers were excellent.
In his second season at Camp Nou, the Chilean came in to steady the side after a difficult month for Ter Stegen at the beginning of the campaign. Barca's defence had been shaky and again his
experience proved vital. As in his debut campaign, Bravo was first choice in La Liga, with Ter Stegen preferred in the cup competitions. Again it worked well - and the Catalans claimed the Primera Division once more.
But both men wanted more. No elite goalkeeper is content with a bit-part role - even at a big club like Barca - and after winning the Copa America for a second successive summer, Bravo came back with a demand: he wanted to be the undisputed starter. And after sitting on the bench for Germany at Euro 2016, Ter Stegen returned with a similar request. So something had to give
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