The tricky turns of life in football have seen a possible reunion between three of Barcelona's aces coming to nothing...and everything had to do with Lionel Messi's decision to extend his contract with PSG.
The footballer had reportedly decided to call it quits from European football if things hadn't gone his way in the FIFA World Cup, but Argentina's success in the competition changed everything for Messi. Not only that, but Messi's decision created a "domino effect" that made it all the way to Camp Nou.
Reports coming in from Spain state that Sergio Busquets, who had already decided to leave Barcelona, may consider a contract extension with Los Blaugranas for less money. The reason? He had decided to join Inter Miami as Messi's sidekick.
Added to it, both footballers would have seen Luis Suárez joining them in the U.S., but Messi's decision forced Suárez to consider Gremio's offer, which will see the Uruguayan playing closer to his home country.
According to Spanish newspaper As, Busquets is still considering to leave Barcelona, but he would think it twice if Los Culés come with a good offer to his door. The Catalan footballer would remain as team captain while also increasing his legacy with Los Culés. To top it all, he would also give Barcelona some breathing space in terms of their complicated financial situation, as they would not be forced to go all in to find a replacement.
The only issue with Busquets' extension has to do with its timing, as Barcelona are reportedly keen on knowing his answer as soon as possible. The same report states that Busquets may need to sort his future out before the end of January, because any delays on that would be taken as if he was not interested in a contract extension.
More than that, coach Xavi Hernández wants time to make plans regarding his squad, and having Busquets around would make a big difference in terms of any reinforcements the team needs for the 2023-24 season.
