In a major development, Javi Miguel of AS is reporting that Barcelona captain Sergio Busquets is on the verge of renewing his contract with the club. Some people in the dressing room are already informed about the 34-year-old’s decision.
Busquets’ current contract with Barcelona expires at the end of the ongoing campaign. Manager Xavi Hernandez has been intent on renewing the midfielder’s contract to keep hold of him for at least another year.
To that end, the Blaugrana have formally tabled a one-year contract offer worth €7 million net salary to Busquets, with an option for an additional twelve months based on the number of appearances he makes.
The offer has been on the midfielder’s table for over a month now, but he was yet to make a decision as he assessed the other proposals from the MLS and Saudi Arabia.
But, now, Busquets is said to have informed people within the dressing room that he wishes to accept the offer that Barça have put forth, meaning he will continue at the club for at least one more year.
As per the report, the dinner he had with Lionel Messi and Jordi Alba earlier this week played a key role behind the club captain deciding to prolong his stay at the club by one more year. It is claimed that the possible return of the Argentine will have helped sway Busquets’ decision.
This move is set to come as a big relief for Xavi for three reasons. For starters, Busquets continues to remain an integral part of the plans and his absence was dearly felt during the game against Rayo Vallecano last night.
Secondly, Barça have been unable to find a suitable replacement for the 34-year-old in the market and finally, the professionalism and personality he brings to the table are considered key in fine-tuning the team that Xavi is building.
Barcelona are now confident of receiving an affirmative response from Busquets, possibly after the match against CA Osasuna next week and if not then, once the La Liga title is in the bag.
