Barcelona face arms race as Sergio Busquets replacement begins contract talks | OneFootball

Barcelona may be forced to show their hand quicker than they thought when it comes to finding Sergio Busquets’ replacement.

Last week it emerged that Real Sociedad’s Martin Zubimendi was a target for the Blaugrana as a long-term option in the pivote role that Busquets has occupied since 2008. Conscious of the fact that they are in the twilight years of Busquets’ career, who turned 34 this summer, Zubimendi has stood out to them as someone that might be able to fill the role.

Taking account of this Real Sociedad have supposedly begun contract talks with Zubimendi in order to protect their interests, as per Sport. They are looking to give him a significant pay rise and subsequently raise his release clause to €90m. Currently that figure stands at €60m, La Real would also look to extend his deal from 2025 to 2027.

That could make a deal difficult for Barcelona, who likely have no intention of paying more than €60m for Zubimendi. As per Mundo Deportivo, who carried the report from Onze, Xavi Hernandez has asked the club to hasten their attempts to sign Zubimendi as a result, should he not become unattainable.