Cristiano Ronaldo could soon find himself lining up alongside a former rival and Barcelona superstar at Al Nassr. The ambitious Saudi side now want to land the captain of the Catalan club, Sergio Busquets according to Mundo Deportivo. Busquets has become a subject of rumour for a move away from Cam Nou since his current deal at the club expires in the summer and no concrete talks of an extension have been surfaced.
Despite being in the final months of his contract at Camp Nou, the Spanish midfielder has not yet decided on his future with the Catalan powerhouse. And if the latest reports are to be believes, Busquets is preparing himself to leave Barcelona and move out of Europe for a whole new experience, like his former midfield partners Xavi who finished his career in Qatar with Al Sadd and Andres Iniesta who joined Japanese side Vissel Kobe in 2019.
Al Nassr confident of signing Busquets after Cristiano Ronaldo deal
Since graduating from Barcelona’s famous La Masia academy in 2005, Busquets has enjoyed enormous success with the club’s first-team for more than 13 consecutive seasons. As his contract at Camp Nou expires in the summer there has been much discussion about his long-term prospects at the age of 34. However, Barca manager Xavi Hernandez, has stated his wish to continue working with Busquets. But on the contract front, there hasn’t seemed to be any progress though.
As a result, clubs in Europe, America, and the Middle East are currently showing interest in signing the midfielder. And Al-Nassr is one team that has allegedly made Busquets a contract offer in an effort to entice him away from Cayalonia, according to the aforementioned report of Mundo Deportivo. A two-year deal for roughly €18 million per season after taxes is what they are willing to give the Barcelona captain.
While there are concrete proposals from MLS as well, with David Beckham’s Inter Miami keen on landing the veteran player, Al Nassr are particularly confident of completing a deal since they pulled-off what nobody had backed them to; signing Cristiano Ronaldo on the most expensive deal ever any sport has known let alone football. Furthermore, there’s no dispute that the Riyadh-based club’s financial package is the heaviest among any offers the midfielder would have received or will receive.
Busquets has reportedly left it to his representatives to weigh up all the options as he is currently focused on finishing the season on a high with Barca. They have already won their first trophy under Xavi’s reign by defeating Real Madrid in an El Clasico final of the Spanish Super Cup. The Catalans are still in the hunt for three more accolades; the La Liga as they sit at the summit with an eight-point gap over second-placed Real, the Copa del Rey and the Europa League.
The decision over whether to link up with Cristiano Ronaldo, Busquets’ former rival when the Portuguese plied his trade with Real will apparently made by the Spain international at the end of the season. Barcelona are ready to offer him a one-year extension as they explore the market for his replacement. They are currently bound by their reeling economic situation and the strict salary cap rules of La Liga. Until then, they want their legendary midfielder to continue his role at Camp Nou.