Barcelona is beginning talks with few of their star players, as the Spanish giants look to extend their long-term contracts. Lionel Messi unsurprisingly tops the list of priorities for Barcelona, followed closely by Andres Iniesta along with a few others in Gerard Pique, Gerard Deulofeu and Sergi Roberto.
Barcelona long flirted with the idea of handing their footballing superstar Lionel Messi a new bumper contract, which will probably see the Argentine staying in La Liga for the rest of his career. They are also making progress with the contract renewal of Andres Iniesta as well.
However, is the board stepping in the right direction with contract renewal of these Barcelona players?
First and foremost, there shouldn’t be any doubts over Lionel Messi. Probably the most decorated and gifted player the game has ever seen, Messi has taken Barcelona to a whole new level this season. He’s scoring at a rate like never before, and his chance creation has also topped his career charts this term.
Five games into the season, the Argentine epitomized the sensational Barcelona under Ernesto Valverde this season. And what sticks out the most is the fact that he’s outscoring the entire team. He has taken 39 shots this season, the rest of the now-Neymar-less Barcelona has managed only 37.
Next best-shooting stats in the league? Simone Zaza with 18 – that’s not even half of what Messi has managed so far. And while his teammates just combined for seven goals, Messi is already distancing himself from the rest of the pack with nine.
Andres Iniesta is also an imperial figure in Barcelona. Despite not getting any younger at the age of 33, the Spanish veteran is still one of the most decorated midfielders in the world. His presence always tends to have a telling impact on the team’s overall performance. The club will want to keep hold of their club legend for the rest of his career.
As for the other players in the team, Gerard Pique, Deulofeu and Sergi Roberto are also listed in Barcelona’s contract extension wishlist.
It shouldn’t be a problem with Gerard Pique, who has a buyout clause of 200 million euros. The 30-year-old has proven himself to be a great leader on the pitch and he has been the defensive lynchpin of Barca in the recent years. The Catalans will look to extend his contract to make sure they don’t lose him in nigh future as they also increase the release clause to ward off any potential suitors.
Sergi Roberto, on the other hand, has often been a solution to Barcelona’s injury problems. His versatility throughout the entire pitch makes him an important asset for Barcelona. The club will extend his contract to reiterate his important to the club and also ward off suitors in the future. While Gerard Deulofeu’s importance at the club has also increased, largely due to the injury of Ousmane Dembele.
Also, it’s worth mentioning the fact that all five players are the product of La Masia youth academy. Therefore it’s refreshing to see that coach Ernesto Valverde wants to keep the Barcelona DNA intact whilst finding success at the same time. The future of FC Barcelona is in good hands!
