Puyol agent casting doubts on renewal

Asked about the contract renewal of Barcelona central defender and Spanish international Carles Puyol (31) (read more here), the player's agent Ramon Sostres has said in an interview with Italian football site Calcio Mercato that the player is in doubt about his future:

"At this stage, Puyol's renewal talks have stopped. He has received a very good offer but the player now first wants to see how things go with the squad. Barcelona has now signed Chygrynskiy for the positions of centre-back, where they already had Piqué and Márquez.

We saw what happened last season when Puyol played on the right, on the left and in the centre. In the semi-final of the Champions League against Chelsea he played very little. I think he must be the only captain that is not used in such an important game. The player's doubts are exclusively related to the sporting side, the financial aspect is not an issue here.

Now the player has to think long and hard about his future and decide whether that future will be with Barcelona or with another team. We will see about that later. Milan? The club seems to have some trouble at this moment. I was surprised by the transfer of Kaká. But they stay one of the most important clubs and one of those that Puyol likes. Only time will tell, it's still too early to comment on these transfer rumours.

The renewal offer is on the table but at this moment there are no further talks. We will see what will happen during the season although we are not expecting him to leave at this point because he is very attached to Barcelona. Is there a new meeting planned? I'll meet Txiki soon to talk about Iniesta and it's possible we also talk about Puyol.

But I repeat that it's not a financial problem but exclusively a football issue. The relationship with Guardiola is fine. Pep likes the player a lot, which is normal because I think it's one of the few footballers in the world who can play at all defensive positions.

But in the centre the coach wants players who are good with the ball and so it is possible that he prefers Márquez, Chygrynskiy or Piqué. The coach nevertheless knows he can count on a player who is always available for whatever needs. He is 31 years old and at that age, no team can give him any assurances. We will see what happens, time can change many things."

Read more:
Puyol considering Barcelona exit