The Barcelona president revealed details about how Barcelona plan to deal with the contract situations of numerous players.
Barcelona have a large revenue stream due to the sponsorship deals, TV rights and prize money they bring in among other things. However, the large number of talented players on their books mean that the wage budget is stretched to keep those players happy. Therefore, the contract extensions have to be planned so that the club stays within Financial Fair Play regulations with the key players prioritised.
Sergio Busquets, Jordi Alba and Ivan Rakitic are three players who are all due new contracts due to the length of their existing contract, promises made by the club or changes in the club hierarchy due to departures. All three are first-team players so keeping them happy is important for the club, although Rakitic’s position is under threat from numerous players.
Josep Bartomeu did an interview with the ‘El Transistor’ programme on Onda Cero discussing various topics including contract extension plans for some of the players. He stated that Alba’s situation would be addressed after Busquets’ extension is finalised, but they won’t be able to meet Rakitic’s demands until next season at the earliest.
This is a blow for the Croatian because he turned down an offer from PSG in the summer, which is likely to have included a lucrative contract. It was expected that he would receive a reward from the club in the form of a new contract due to that, but it looks like he will have to be patient. However, the board do have their priorities right in regard to these players.
He is expendable because they have players such as Arthur Melo and Riqui Puig who could replace him in the coming seasons, which would shift the dynamic of the midfield back towards the traditional structure. Therefore, the club could be intending to take a risk by not committing to a new contract for him and hoping that he stays loyal over the next few seasons.