Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu has reportedly confirmed that Andres Iniesta’s contract will be renewed with the club in the coming weeks.
According to a report by Mundo Deportivo, Josep Maria Bartomeu has confirmed that Andres Iniesta will be tied down with a new contract to the club, amid interest from Juventus and Manchester City. The living Barcelona legend has been subjected to a lot of speculation over his future but his fans will be relieved to hear that he is going nowhere.
It is hard to imagine a club as prolific as Barcelona without the presence of Andres Iniesta – and that goes to show the level of his importance. Iniesta has been a part of the club since he was 12-years-old and the player rapidly progressed through the ranks at their academy, following which he debuted for the senior side in 2002.
Since then, Iniesta has established himself as one of the most sensational players in the La Liga. He has been a revelation for Barcelona and for Spain as he managed to carve a place for himself in the hearts of fans and critics alike. In fact, the 33-year-old has more than 700 career appearances to his name.
However, the highly-regarded midfielder’s future at Barcelona was believed to be uncertain with less than a year remaining on his current deal. Although reports surfaced claiming that there were no talks about a renewal, Bartomeu’s statements do say otherwise.
His response has come at the right time since Manchester City and Juventus were expected to make a move on the Barcelona man. Pep Guardiola was especially keen on prying him away from the Catalan club since the midfield remains an area of slight concern for the Spanish manager.
Juventus, on the other hand, do not have a need as such since Massimiliano Allegri has the likes of Miralem Pjanic, Claudio Marchisio, Sami Khedira and summer arrival Blaise Matuidi to choose from. The Bianconeri were understood to be eyeing Iniesta as a short-term solution to assert better control in midfield.
However, both clubs will receive a setback in their pursuits since Iniesta is likely to continue at Camp Nou beyond this season. Barcelona are not in a good place right now, and this is when they will need their most dependable and experienced midfielder the most.
