Barcelona midfielder Riqui Puig willing to leave the club

The Barcelona starlet does not figure in the manager’s plans.

The tale of talented Barcelona midfielder Riqui Puig could be coming to an end with a resolution that is unlikely to satisfy those who believe he should be playing more.

According to Sport, Betis is offering a way out for Puig and are studying the possibility of making a loan offer for the player.

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The final say in the matter would be up to Puig who has long maintained that he wanted to stay and fight for a place under new manager Ronald Koeman.

Things have not gotten better since he was left out of the side in the Joan Gamper match against Elche. He’s mostly seen minutes in a handful of games in the Champions League and has rarely featured in league matches aside from a handful of minutes here and there.

Koeman would not have any issues were Puig to decide to stay until the summer but would rather have him go out on loan to play more and not stunt his development.

The relationship between player and manager is not the best one as he’s been clear since the start that he did not count on Puig. He’s kept that promise with a report that he had heated words with Puig accusing him of leaking information to the press as a way to garner support.

One of the reasons Betis are after Puig is as cover for Sergio Canales who is currently out injured. The Sevilla-based side also has previous with taking Barcelona players on loan. Last season, they did the same with Carles Aleña. They play a similar style to the Catalan side so it has the potential to be a good fit for Puig.

His contract ends in the summer but, according to Mundo Deportivo, should there be an agreement on a loan, the club would have options to extend his contract which is what they want to do.

While Koeman may not have Puig in his plans, the club, and another manager, do. With a new president soon to be elected, it may spell the end of Koeman at Barcelona and there might be a new manager come next season. If it is Xavi, like many believe, he’s spoken highly of the player and would want him back at the club.

A loan move does seem like the best option but it’s clear that Puig’s lack of playing time is more personal than sporting. Whenever he’s been given an opportunity, he’s done well. But he needs to play more. The only player who has played fewer minutes than him this season is the Brazilian, Matheus.