Sergio Busquets is ready to lower his salary and listen to a contract renewal offer from FC … [+]
FC Barcelona captain Sergio Busquets is ready to lower his salary and listen to the club’s contract renewal offer, according to reports from Catalonia.
The number ‘5’ has less than five months to run on his current deal, which expires on June 30.
Aged 35, it has long been rumored that the World Cup winner who has been a mainstay in Barca’s midfield since 2008 will head to the MLS while Saudi giants Al-Nassr are also allegedly willing to acquire his services.
Barca first team manager Xavi Hernandez, who operated in front of the pivot until departing himself in 2015 at the same age for Qatar, wants his skipper to continue in Blaugrana however.
Xavi believes that Busquets can still perform an important role in his team, which is currently halfway to its first La Liga title win since 2019.
Busquets has never explicitly said that he will leave Barca, but a failure for club and captain to see eye-to-eye on pay was previously believed to be a sticking point.
According to Catalan radio station RAC, however, Busquets is now willing to listen to Barca’s renewal offer and is also prepared to reduce his salary if needs be.
The news will be welcomed both by Xavi and president Joan Laporta, who is facing the prospect of having to shave €200mn ($218mn) off the wage bill to navigate Financial Fair Play, so says La Liga president Javier Tebas.
Furthermore, Barca should do all they can to keep Busquets. Though at times against elite competition in the Champions League and in La Liga he looked to be a spent force, Busquets is still operating at a high level with Xavi’s four-man midfield putting less onus on his aged legs.
The new system is also bringing out the best in Frenkie de Jong, who has indicated he is happiest at the base of the midfield with ‘Busi’ by his side in a double pivot or at least a deeper area in the center of the park.
With it, the pair can sit back while Pedri and Gavi run riot, and the formation has been one of the main keys to Barca’s success which sees them set up to win the Spanish top flight through a 100 point campaign.
Lastly, there is no strong back up for De Jong in the position if he were to be picked as the sole pivot yet become injured or suspended. With Franck Kessie failing to impress so far since joining on a free transfer from AC Milan last summer, Nico Gonzalez is a work-in-progress on loan at a relegation-threatened Valencia.
With rumored pursuits of Benjamin Pavard and Brazilian sensation Vitor Roque probable in the next transfer window as well, it is unlikely that Barca will have the leftover cash to trigger the €60mn ($65.5mn) release clause of Martin Zubiemndi either.
