Barcelona reject Saudi Arabian giants’ loan proposal for 32-year-old, want permanent move

Barcelona have turned down a proposal from Saudi Arabian outfit Al-Nassr for the loan signing of veteran midfielder Miralem Pjanic, reports Gerard Romero.

The journalist claims that talks were held between Barça and Al-Nassr over a potential loan move for the 32-year-old Bosnian yesterday. Following that the Middle East giants are said to have tabled an offer for the temporary signing of the midfielder.

As per the terms offered, Al-Nassr would take Pjanic on loan for the remainder of the season and pay 70% of his total wages. However, Barcelona decided to turn down that proposal and made it clear that they will only sanction a permanent transfer.

Pjanic’s situation at the Catalan outfit has seen some ups and downs in recent months. After he returned from his loan stint at Besiktas, it was assumed that the ex-AS Roma and Juventus ace will be pushed out of the club.

However, some good performances in pre-season training earned him a stay of execution. He further impressed on the pre-season tour to the US, following which Xavi decided to keep hold of him as a backup for Sergio Busquets.

Instead, Barcelona loaned out promising midfielder Nico Gonzalez to Valencia in order to help continue his development.

But, having stayed back at Spotify Camp Nou, Pjanic is yet to play a single minute of competitive football for the Blaugrana this season.

Considering that the club have plans to bring in at least two more new players before the window closes, they are working on several player exits, with Pjanic’s name also on the list, along with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Sergino Dest, Ez Abde and Martin Braithwaite.

Al-Nassr’s offer, however, was deemed not good enough by the club, who are seeking to offload Pjanic on a permanent basis only. Whether the Saudi Arabian outfit returns with an improved offer of if the midfielder joins a different club altogether remains to be seen.