Lionel Messi's Inter Miami teammate, Sergio Busquets has said that he is nearing the end of his football career. The Spanish midfielder is going through the final months of his contract at the MLS side and is yet to sign a new deal.
In an interaction with the media, Busquets expressed his happiness in reaching the 100-game milestone for Inter Miami, having joined the club from Barcelona in 2023 on a free transfer. he said:
"I wanted to come and enjoy a new stage in my sporting and family life, in a new club. There were many things to improve, and I wanted to contribute my experience. I’m very happy to have reached that milestone."
When asked about his contract extension, Busquets added:
"There is no news. When I left Barça, I already knew I wouldn’t return to Spain or Europe. I'm much closer to retiring than to continuing to play. There’s nothing regarding a supposed renewal or a supposed retirement; when there’s news, we’ll communicate it."
Sergio Busquets currently occupies a 'Designated Player' slot at Inter Miami, along with Lionel Messi and Jordi Alba. If he leaves the side at the end of this season, the MLS club will be able to register Rodrigo De Paul, who has joined on loan from Atletico Madrid, but is on he 'Targeted Allocation Money' (TAM) contract.
Javier Mascherano wants to keep Sergio Busquets
Inter Miami head coach Javier Mascherano interacted with the media earlier this summer and admitted that he wants Sergio Busquets to stay. he spoke about Busquets' importance at the club and said:
"He's an incredibly important player, not just in the history of football, but also in the history of this club. Sergio is a personal favourite of mine. I went to Barcelona just to learn from him. I went there to be his backup, so I could watch him up close, so imagine how life works out that now I get to coach him.
"I’ve truly enjoyed these seven months with Sergio. Hopefully he can keep playing, and if it’s with Inter Miami, even better. In my opinion, he still has a lot to offer. But when it comes to those conversations between him and the club, I’m not directly involved, and I don’t have a lot of information about that."
Lionel Messi is also nearing the end of his contract at the MLS side. Talks over a new deal are going on amid interest from the Saudi Pro League.