Getty Gerard Pique has confirmed his retirement.
Barcelona veterans Gerard Pique and Jordi Alba have found themselves on the fringes of the first team this season under Xavi and could well be at the end of their Camp Nou careers.
Indeed the club have already made the unanimous decision that the two players will not be at the club next season, as reported by Diario Sport journalist David Bernabeu Reverter.
Barcelona have “no doubts” about their decision and will seek to find a solution in the winter transfer market. The club are said to be adamant that “their cycle in the club to be over.”
Pique has been benched this season after the arrivals of Jules Kounde and Andreas Christsensen. He is currently also behind Eric Garcia and Ronald Araujo in the pecking order and has only made two appearances this season.
Alba is also struggling for game time at left-back. Teenage Alejandro Balde is making waves this season and has come in for huge praise from coach Xavi, while Marcos Alonso has arrived on a free transfer and is also an option for the Barcelona coach.
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Laporta ‘Disappointed’ With Pique and Alba
Meanwhile, Barcelona president Joan Laporta has reportedly been left disappointed with Pique and Alba this season, according to Reverter. The club chief met with both players in August to discuss a salary reduction and although both were willing their agents’ refused to sanction the new contracts.
The Catalans ended up having to sell Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to Chelsea and Laporta was forced to “sign a personal guarantee” so that the club could make room on the wage bill to register new signing Jules Kounde.
Laporta was left “disappointed” and “hurt” by the situation and will urgently look for an exit for both players. The president knows that Barca are due to pay out €200 millon in wages to Pique, Alba and Sergio Busquets over the next year and a half.
Busquets is still playing regularly for Barcelona and remains the club’s captain. However, he could walk away for free at the end of the season when his contract expires, but Pique and Alba remain contracted to Barca until 2024.
Juventus Keen On Alba?
Alba was offered to Serie A side Inter in the summer transfer window. The left-back has spoken about the rumors and made it clear he was not happy to see his name linked with an exit.
Inter’s Serie A rivals Juventus are also being linked with a move for the Spain international. The Turin giants have asked about the possibility of signing Alba either on loan or on a free transfer ahead of the winter transfer window, as reported by Sport.
It seems likely Barca would be willing to let Alba go for financial reasons and because he’s no longer first choice. Yet it remains to be seen if the Spain international is now ready to call time on his Camp Nou career after a decade with the club.
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