Busquets renewal deal could be close

Catalan sports paper Sport claims that the contract renewal of Barcelona midfielder and Spanish youth international Sergio Busquets (20) is now very close and that the coming hours could be decisive.

With one or two meetings needed to finish the talks, the player's agent Josep Maria Orobitg could meet with Barcelona sports director Txiki Begiristain today to close the renewal negotiations.

There would be a principal agreement on the main aspects, with only some details left to be agreed upon. The new contract would be a five-year deal, with Busquets staying officially a B-team player the first year. A low fixed salary will be compensated with high incentives, that can grow over the years which would make him earn from the fourth year on a wage that one can expect from a Barcelona player.

Catalan sports paper El Mundo Deportivo, that says that both parties already met three times, claims that a new meeting will be held at the end of this week. Madrid sports tabloid Marca claims that everything indicates that the meeting is scheduled for today.

Asked about the negotiations, Orobitg said in an interview with Catalan radio station COM Ràdio that the talks are going in the right direction: "Unless something bad happens, everything looks very good. We all want to close a deal now and have a happy end to this. I can't say it's 100 per cent sure that we'll reach an agreement soon, but the percentage sure is very high.

We have our own, very clear objectives. Busquets has in favour that he can leave for free next summer, that he's young and that he's going through a good moment. But on the other hand, we all know that the only thing he wants is to continue at Barcelona. He wants to be a Barcelona player and he's very satisfied working with the current coach."

Barcelona general director Joan Oliver has said in an interview with Catalan radio station Rac 1 that Barcelona isn't planning to offer him an exaggerated salary: "Both Busquets and the club want him to stay in the Camp Nou, but we'll pay him what we think is right for a rising player. Txiki and his staff have to come to a deal now."

Read more:
Last meeting to seal Busquets renewal coming up
Juventus and Arsenal monitor Busquets talks
Principal agreement on Busquets renewal