Xavi wants Barcelona to offer new deals two club captains, first contact made

Barcelona have several first-team players whose contracts expire at the end of the season. Amongst them, recent reports are suggesting that the Catalans have closed the renewals of Marcos Alonso and Inaki Pena, while Hector Bellerin’s situation remains unclear.

As for club captains Sergio Busquets and Sergi Roberto, Mundo Deportivo is reporting that Barcelona have made first contact with their entourage to discuss possible renewals at the insistence of manager Xavi Hernandez.

Busquets contract runs out at the end of the season and the midfielder is understood to have offers from clubs in the MLS as well as Saudi Arabia, with Inter Miami and Al Nassr interested in his services.

However, Xavi is keen on renewing the 34-year-old club captain as he sees the former Spanish international as an important part of his plans.

Furthermore, the difficulty in signing a quality replacement is also a major factor, which is why the idea of offering a new deal to Busquets is gaining momentum.

To that end, Barça contacted the midfielder’s entourage to learn his stance on his future and whether he is listening to offers from other clubs. However, the report states that the veteran midfielder has been silent on the matter as he assesses all the options on his table.

Meanwhile, Xavi also wants to retain the services of Roberto even though he does not see the club captain as a regular starter. The desire to renew the 30-year-old stems due to his familiarity with the club’s philosophy and tactics as well as the versatility that he brings to the table.

Unlike Busquets, Roberto has publicly expressed his desire to sign an extension with Barcelona as he intends to remain at the club for a long time.

Talks will continue with both Busquets and Roberto’s representatives as the Blaugrana look to take their next steps in negotiating the renewals.

Obviously, the Financial Fair Play matter will be a hindrance, especially with La Liga telling the club that they need to reduce their wage bill by €150-200 million.