BARCELONA HOPE GERARD PIQUE HANG UP HIS BOAT IN 2023 TO AVOID PAYING HIM €80m IN WAGES

Barcelona hope Gerard Pique retires in 2023 to avoid paying him €80m in wages

According to Catalan media outlet RAC1, Barcelona are hoping that Gerard Pique will announce his retirement in the summer of 2023.

The 35-year-old was one of the players who agreed to defer his wages multiple times to help the club deal with the effects of Covid.

As a result, Barcelona owe Pique around €50m in deferred salary. Besides, his contract includes a loyalty bonus of €7.5m and a €3.3m performance bonus – both will be triggered if he plays a 40 per cent of games next season.

So, Barcelona want to avoid paying Pique all the money that they owe him.

However, the defender himself is claimed to have no plans to hang up his boots just yet.

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