According to a fresh report from Mundo Deportivo, Barcelona captain Sergio Busquets is now seriously considering staying at the club instead of leaving as a free agent in the summer when his contract expires.
The 34-year-old has just a little over six months left on his contract at Spotify Camp Nou and has been widely tipped to leave when that runs out. A move to MLS outfit Inter Miami is said to be on the cards for the former Spanish international with talks already underway.
However, manager Xavi Hernandez has been intent on keeping hold of Busquets beyond the current season and has been pushing the club to hold talks with him about a renewal.
At the same time, the 42-year-old tactician has been hoping to convince his captain and key midfielder to remain at the club at least until January 2024 if not for the entirety of the 2023/24 season.
It was reported that despite the manager’s persistence, Busquets had his heart set on an exit. However, as per the aforementioned outlet, there seems to be a change in stance from the Barcelona captain.
Indeed, following talks with Xavi, during which it was made clear to him that he remains a key part of the team, Busquets is seriously considering staying at Barça beyond the current season.
At the same time, given the club’s fragile economic situation, replacing the veteran star can be a problem as well, not only in a financial sense but also to find the exact profile of the player to take over from him.
These factors have made Busquets reconsider his situation, along with one other major reason – Lionel Messi.
The 34-year-old’s decision to move to MLS was partly motivated by the hope of reuniting with his former Barcelona teammate, with the Argentine’s contract at PSG also expiring.
However, recent reports suggest that Messi will stay in Paris for another year and has an agreement in principle with PSG. His decision not to move to the MLS is also believed to have played a part in Busquets considering staying at Barcelona.
The 34-year-old is confident that he still can continue playing at the highest level and having stepped down from international football, he can focus solely on club football. So, Busquets might very well end up staying at Barcelona, allowing the club more time to find a replacement.