Sergio Busquets closes in on Barcelona contract extension
The Barca captain has reportedly told teammates that he is almost ready to extend his current deal for another year.
Sergio Busquets has told his Barcelona teammates that he plans to accept the club’s contract renewal offer, AS has learned.
The offer is thought to involve a one-year extension on greatly reduced terms, with the option of a second year at the club’s discretion. Head coach Xavi Hernández is eager to keep the 34-year-old in his squad but the club needs to make substantial savings on the wage bill this summer.
Xavi, a close friend and long-time teammate of Busquets, has been working under the assumption that his captain would stay at the club. Reports in Spain suggest that productive talks in recent days have only strengthened that belief.
An extension for Busquets would be a relief for Xavi, who has opted to start the former Spain midfielder in all the club’s important games this season. Barça are thought to be monitoring potential options for a younger replacement but have not yet identified a suitable candidate. Busquets’ personality and professionalism are considered vital to the development of Xavi’s team.
Busquets’ wage cut helps Messi move
Last Monday Busquets and teammate Jordi Alba met with former Barcelona star Lionel Messi for a dinner in the city. In recent weeks the club has made no secret of the fact that efforts are being made to bring Messi back to Barcelona and Monday’s meeting will only strengthen the rumours.
There had been some suggestion that Busquets and Messi were considering offers from MLS sides to make the move to the States. However if a pathway opens up for a return to Camp Nou the Argentine would likely leap at the chance.
At the moment, financial issues are a major stumbling block for the club. Barcelona already have to shed around €200 million from their annual wage budget to allow them to sign new players for the 2023/23 season.
If Busquets agrees to a significant reduction it could help the club’s efforts to bring back Messi and reunite him with Xavi.