Barcelona star set to meet with the club in order to discuss his future beyond the ongoing season - Reports
Barcelona midfielder Sergio Busquets is set to have conversations with team management over a possible extension.
The 34-year-old, whose contract with the La Liga giants expires this summer, will have talks over continuing his stay with the team, according to Spanish outlet Sport.
Barcelona will offer Sergio Busquets a contract renewal, but with a lower salary. The club wouldn't mind a 6 month extension, where he would leave to the MLS in January 2024.
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The defensive midfielder, who has played for the Blaugrana his entire career, is regarded as a legend in the history of the club. Thus, manager Xavi Hernandez has made it clear that he would like to keep the team captain at Camp Nou for the foreseeable future.
Mundo Deportivo reported earlier that Busquets is open to the possibility of staying at Barcelona, but he is also considering other options. He is reportedly attracting interest from clubs in the US and Saudi Arabia, with MLS side Inter Miami in particular.
Inter Miami head coach Phil Neville recently admitted that his team has been exploring the possibility of signing Busquets along with his former teammate Lionel Messi.
Sport's report adds that the meeting between the club and the player's representatives is set to happen after the first leg of the Copa del Rey semi-finals against Real Madrid. The meeting is where Barcelona will learn about Busquets' future interests.
With the team's financial situation in peril, the report adds that a one-year deal will be offered to the veteran. The management wants to know Busquets' position by March to prepare for the future.
Should Busquets leave, Barca have lined up Real Sociedad's Martin Zubimendi as the long-term successor to the player. However, Zubimendi has a €60 million release clause which makes it difficult for Barcelona to strike a deal for the Spaniard.
Barcelona to miss three key players for El Clasico
Barcelona have been struck with injuries to key players ahead of their Copa del Rey semi-final first leg clash against Real Madrid. Manager Xavi Hernandez is set to miss the likes of Robert Lewandowski, Ousmane Dembele, and Pedri.
Lewandowski's injury has been confirmed by the club too now.
The Polish striker went down with a hamstring injury in the team's 1-0 loss to Almeria in La Liga. He is expected to make a recovery in two weeks and be ready for action for the second leg clash.
Ousmane Dembele, however, suffered a long-term hamstring injury. He last played in the end of January and has since missed 10 games in a row.
Pedri is also suffering from a hamstring injury, as he was taken off during the first leg of the team's Europa League clash against Manchester United. The Spaniard is expected to be back in two weeks as well.