Ever since Sergio Busquets announced his retirement from international football, his future has become a point at point of contention, with many expecting him to depart even in the upcoming January transfer window.
Although it has been established that Busquets will continue at Barcelona until the end of the season, the club have ‘taken for granted’ that the player will leave in 2023, in favour of a move elsewhere, reports Diario AS.
But the report suggests that there is still a last ‘bullet’ for Busquets to dodge in his bid to quit Barcelona. That bullet is Barcelona coach Xavi Hernandez, who is not only the coach of Busquets but also a close friend, whom the player trusts a lot.
The report points out that Xavi is determined to keep hold of Busquets for as long as he can. This is because Xavi considers the veteran midfielder a vital part of his plans, due to the experience, composure and leadership he offers to the table.
As such, Xavi is expected to meet Busquets in the coming days to talk about the player’s plans for next season. While the Barcelona coach is aware of the midfielder’s plans to see out his contract at Barça and move to the United States in the summer, he believes that the player can still continue at Camp Nou.
Although Busquets has made his mind up about not spending the 2023/24 season at Barça, it appears Xavi is looking to convince the midfielder to spend at least six more months at Camp Nou and remain at the club until January 2024, after which he will be free to leave.
It is worth mentioning that Major League Soccer follows the calendar and the next edition will only start in 2024, thus giving Busquets the space to remain in Barcelona during the first half of the 2023/24 campaign.
Busquets is yet to make a decision on his future, in this regard, but the Barcelona camp is hopeful that his intentions could change after a round of talks with Xavi.