Marquez wants to renew until 2012

Catalan sports paper El Mundo Deportivo claims that Barcelona central defender and Mexican international Rafael Márquez (29) wants to stay with Barcelona until 2012.

At that moment, the player plans to retire at the highest level before maybe playing a last season with his former Mexican club Atlas de Guadalajara.

The current ontract of the player expires in the summer of 2010, which means that Márquez would like to close a deal with Barcelona on a two-year extension. The defender has therefore given instructions to his agent to start talking with Barcelona (read more here).

Márquez' agent Enrique Nieto was in Barcelona over the last days but didn't met with the club since Barcelona sports director Txiki Begiristain is still in Japan. The negotiations on the contract renewal are now scheduled to start in January when Nieto will meet with Begiristain and Barcelona general director of football Raül Sanllehí.

Last summer, Márquez seemed on his way out before talking to newly appointed manager Josep Guardiola, who has put his trust in the Mexican. Márquez had two interesting offers from Italian top clubs, one of them from AC Milan, and an offer by Atlético Madrid.

Márquez, who joined Barcelona in the summer of 2003 and who played already 200 official games with the Barcelona shirt, has always prefered to stay in Barcelona. The player is very well integrated in the city, with one of his last investments being becoming a shareholder of the popular Mexican restaurant La Coronela.

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Marquez wants to renew his contract

Marquez wants renewal before returning home

Asked about his plans for the future and a possible renewal with Barcelona (read more here), Barcelona central defender and Mexican international Rafael Márquez (29), whose contract with Barcelona expires in 2010, has said in an interview with Mexican radio station Estadio W that he would like to continue at the club:

"I hope to be able to retire at Barcelona, that would be the best thing. But one never knows what will happen tomorrow. You can return home or get the chance to go and play in another country, you just don't know it.

My priority is to stay in Europe, trying to finish my career here. After that, I would be delighted to play a last competition with Atlas de Guadalajara and to say goodbye to my people, why not? I would like to retire by winning a trophy that we, atlistas, want so much."

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Marquez never thought about leaving

Renewal talks coming up