Barcelona captain will have to reduce salary by half if he stays at club – report

Sergio Busquets’ future at Barcelona has become a subject of much debate in recent weeks. The 34-year-old’s contract with the Catalan giants runs down in the summer, leading to endless speculations about what his next step will be.

It has been reported that Barça manager Xavi Hernandez is keen on retaining Busquets’ services for another year and has asked the club to sit down with the veteran to hold discussions about a renewal.

The head coach believes that his captain still has plenty to offer and could also help guide the young midfielders at the club over the next campaign.

According to SPORT, Busquets is set to return to training with Barcelona on December 16 after Spain’s elimination from the FIFA World Cup and could arrive with a decision made on his future.

The report suggests that the midfielder is leaning towards moving on from Camp Nou on June 30 when his deal runs out. He knows of the interest from Inter Miami and is intrigued by the possibility of playing in the MLS.

However, the possibility of a renewal is not off the table as Busquets is aware that Xavi wants him to continue at the club.

But, in such a scenario, given the club’s financial constraints and Busquets’ high wages, the 34-year-old would have to agree to take a pay cut and reduce his salary by half as per the report.

The club are hoping that the captain makes a decision on his future as early as possible so that they can plan for what lies ahead accordingly.

In case Busquets does not renew and moves on, Xavi has made it clear that he would want Barça to sign Martin Zubimendi to replace the midfielder. However, the Real Sociedad star’s €60 million valuation is a hindrance for the club.

Other options like N’Golo Kante, Ilkay Gundogan, Jorginho and Ruben Neves are thus being considered as well.