It is widely expected that veteran midfielder Sergio Busquets will continue at Barcelona for at least one more season. If that is the case, there is absolutely no point for the team to look for replacements in the summer.
As a result, Barcelona have decided that whenever Busquets calls time on his Barcelona career, the team will go all-out for Real Socieded midfielder Martin Zubimendi.
According to journalist Gerard Romero, there are two conditions that must align with the aforementioned idea. First, the team must recover financially and second, Xavi must still be the coach. If these conditions are met, the management will do everything in its power to sign Zubimendi.
Interestingly enough, judging by the current state of finances, while it does seem difficult for the team to recover all debts anytime soon, it is being said that in 2021, the club did an audit. They estimated that they can recover financially by 2024.
This is exactly when Busquets is expected to leave Barcelona for the good. It must be noted that the veteran midfielder has been offered a one-year contract with an option of a further year by Barça.
As part of his new deal, his wages will significantly drop down to just €7 million per year, which would be less than a third of what he currently earns. Interestingly enough, Busquets’ decision is largely triggered by the future of Lionel Messi and not the economic factors.
The 34-year-old is currently waiting to see whether or not his close friend, Messi, returns to Barcelona. But above all, even Xavi has expressed that Busquets’ continuity is going to be good for the team.
“Busi for me is key, crucial. He is tactically a perfect footballer and I hope he stays, but… it depends on him,” said the manager.
So for now, the manager will continue to count on his veteran and will only focus on Zubimendi once Busquets calls time on his Barcelona tenure.
