Busquets open to signing new Barça contract
The midfielder, as reported by RAC, is willing to listen to Barça offer to stay on for another year. Xavi wants him to continue while offers from elsewhere, MLS and Saudi Arabia, come in.
Sergio Busquets has yet to make a decision on whether to leave Barça or stay where he is. The Barça captain, who has made 706 appearances for the club, is now just 72 behind the club record holder, Leo Messi. Busi is willing to continue for another year as a Barça player, and would accept a significant drop in his salary, according to reports by RAC-1,
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At 35, Sergio Busquets has the unconditional support of Xavi who considers him an irreplaceable piece of the team and believes that, as long as he is careful, the player will be able to meet the physical demands of another season in top level football. And Busquets is fully aware of the economic situation at Barça and would also comply by accepting to lower his salary. Barça will need to adapt to changes in their wage structure next - that will have a knock-on effect on the financial fairplay graph which means Mateo Alemany will have to take out the calculator.
Copa del Rey record within reach
“Don’t ask me again, I haven’t made any decisions on my future,” Busquets told reporters before last month’s Super Cup final, when he was asked twice about his plans. Busi lifted his first trophy as the team captain at the King Fahd Stadium in Ryadh and could potentially win another three this season - including the Copa del Rey. Barça face Real Madrid in the semi-finals and should they go on to be crowned champions, Busquets will be the first player in history to win eight cup titles, overtaking Gainza, Messi and Piqué, who are all on seven like him.
How successful Barça are this season could play a part in Busquets’ decision. He doesn’t want to feel like a burden, have his performance scrutinised or be the target of whistles by home fans at Camp Nou. If the team fails to win anything this year, voices would be raised calling for the captains to be replaced. But a successful campaign would reinforce Xavi’s plan - he managed to get another of the captains, Jordi Alba, to accept a secondary role to allow Balde to flourish.
Now that Busi has retired from international football, he will have more rest periods than he has had in the last fifteen years. Meanwhile, there is the lure of MLS and Saudi Arabia - the latter offering players paying millions to boost its profile with a view to being a candidate for the 2030 World Cup. For now, Busquets is leaving all his options open. The team is functioning well, he is plays regularly and, more importantly, he is winning more than losing. And that is an encouraging sign.