A few months ago, Barcelona captain Sergio Busquets had stated that he would take a call on his future at the club once the FIFA World Cup was out of the way. And following Spain’s elimination from the tournament on Tuesday, the time is near for the veteran to decide.
Busquets was one of the three players who missed from the spot in the penalty shootout for La Roja as they were dumped out of the competition by Morocco. Speaking after the match, the 34-year-old did not give anything away with regard to his future with the national team.
At the same time, he has also not given any clarification over his future at Barcelona, although reports have been suggesting that the Spaniard would be looking to move on when his deal runs out at the end of the season.
But, manager Xavi Hernandez does not see things the same way and is keen for his captain to continue at the club for another year.
To that end, Mundo Deportivo is reporting that the 42-year-old tactician has requested Barcelona to open a new round of contacts with Busquets to discuss a possible renewal, even though the club see the possibility of the player extending as highly unlikely.
Xavi still sees Busquets as an integral part of his plans and wants the veteran captain to remain at the club for one more season. However, the Barça board and the sports management staff do not share the same opinion as the manager.
The administration views Busquets’ departure as essential to slash the wage bill and generate Fair Play while the sports management see his potential exit as another step towards the end of a cycle and the start of a new era.
But, Xavi continues to insist on trying to convince Busquets to remain at Camp Nou for another season and has asked for fresh talks over a renewal.
If the talks do not lead to anything fruitful, the 34-year-old La Masia graduate is likely to move to the MLS where David Beckham’s Inter Miami are waiting to snap him up and even possibly team him up with Lionel Messi.
Busquets will be able to speak to the clubs of his liking from January 1 and negotiate a pre-contract agreement for a free transfer in the summer.
Barcelona, for their part, are keen for the midfielder to inform them of their decision by December 16, the date on which he and the rest of Barcelona’s Spanish contingent at the World Cup will return to training.