Sergio Busquets “willing to drastically lower salary” to stay with Barcelona

Having made his debut under Pep Guardiola in 2009, Sergio Busquets is Barcelona’s current longest serving player. The 34-year-old recently passed 700 appearances in the famous Blaugrana shirt, taking him third in the all-time list behind Lionel Messi and current head coach Xavi Hernandez.

However, there has been plenty of speculation that his time in Catalonia will come to an end in the summer, with his contract expiring in June. There has been many rumours about a move to MLS side Inter Miami, while Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr are also interested in the Barca captain.

Despite this, it appears that Busquets’ first choice could well be to remain at Barcelona for at least another season. Marca report that he is willing to take a “drastic” pay cut to stay at the club. This would be a massive boost for Xavi, who is desperate to keep his former teammate at Barca.

However, Barca’s financial issues may prove to be a sticking point. The club are looking to renew several first team players’ deals, one of which is defender Ronald Araujo, whom Barca are waiting to register as a first team player. These renewals will leave less space in the budget for Busquets, and he may be forced to leave the club against his and Xavi’s wishes.

With Busquets currently out injured, having suffered an ankle sprain against Sevilla on Sunday, clarification over his Barcelona future may come sooner than originally anticipated.

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