Andres Iniesta had marked 30th April as the ultimatum for deciding on his future with Barcelona. Now the 33-year-old appears to be hedging on the game against Sevilla and is waiting for the final whistle to state his wishes. He does have a lifetime agreement with the Catalan side but it is expected that the deal will be terminated in good faith.
After all, the Spaniard is one of the most successful players in the club and have served them for the entirety of his professional career. If anything, he is expected to return to the Camp Nou someday and take up a major role in the club’s inside operations.
The current campaign for Barcelona will come as a bittersweet victory for the veteran if he is considering a departure, come May. He played a major hand in pushing the team towards the top of the league table and the Quarter Finals of the UEFA Champions League.
But the uncharacteristic loss to AS Roma will forever etch as a major blow in his playing career. Overcoming their rivals in the continental stage and registering a treble would have been the ideal way of bidding goodbye to the club but seldom is perfection achieved in the highest stage of European football.
But even then, 30 trophies in his club career and 5 on the international stage will definitely mark him as one of the greatest midfielders in world football. He and Lionel Messi hold most number of trophies with Barcelona (even though the latter will go on to win even more).
The time might be now for the 125-time Spain international to make his way out of the Camp Nou. Barcelona have brought in younger replacements in Philippe Coutinho and Denis Suarez over the past two seasons and will be looking to sign more if required.
Brazilian youngster, Arthur Melo is also expected to make his way to the side from Gremio next summer after agreeing a permanent deal earlier in the current season. It is time for the next generation to start getting more involved in the daily operations which is somehow hampered with Iniesta still in the time.
He is unquestionably still capable of playing for the team in major competitions but the loss of athleticism is starting to catch up to him. Coutinho is slowly transitioning into the La Liga after spending over 4 seasons in the Premier League.
Read More: Barcelona Interested In £87M Ligue 1 Defensive Star: Should They Go All In For Him?
The veteran can follow into his former teammate’s shoes (David Villa) and have solid retirement career in the Major League Soccer.
