The future of Barcelona captain Sergio Busquets and his potential replacement at the club have been the subject of much speculation in recent weeks.
The 34-year-contract old’s is set to expire at the end of the season, at which point he is expected to join the MLS. In terms of his replacement, Barça is eyeing a move for Real Sociedad’s Martin Zubimendi.
The 23-year-old has been a consistent performer at the base of the midfield for La Real Madrid in recent years, and Barcelona’s technical staff sees him as the ideal heir to Busquets. Manager Xavi Hernandez is said to have approved his signing as well.
Real Sociedad, on the other hand, will not go down without a fight in order to keep Zubimendi beyond the current season. To that end, they have already begun contract negotiations with the Spanish star.
The midfielder’s current contract with the Basque club expires in 2025. It also includes a €60 million release clause that any interested party would have to activate in order to sign him.
According to Mundo Deportivo, Real Sociedad want to increase the release clause amount by €30 million to €90 million as part of the new contract they are negotiating with Zubimendi.
At the same time, La Real are working to significantly increase his wages, and if he signs the new contract proposed, the 23-year-old will become one of the club’s highest-paid players.
Sociedad inserted a €90 million release clause in Alexander Isak’s contract and sold him to Newcastle United for €70 million this summer. And they could demand a similar fee from Zubimendi if he decides to leave despite Barcelona’s interest.
For the time being, talks about a new contract that would keep him in San Sebastian until 2027 are said to be going well. It will be interesting to see if this forces Barça to reconsider its approach to Zubimendi and realign its goals.
Leave a Reply