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Barcelona captain Sergio Busquets and defender Gerard Pique are reportedly owed €102 million in deferred wages by the Catalan club.
To register new signings and balance their books, the club are currently forcing existing players, including Busquets and Pique, to reduce their salaries.
However, the Catalan giants are yet to receive an agreement from either veteran. According to ARA, negotiations have stalled owing to deferred salaries of the pair. The report added that the club currently owes Busquets €50 million and Pique €52 million.
Busquets has agreed to distribute the amount throughout the additional years of his contract. However, it remains to be seen if he opts to remain at his boyhood club beyond the summer of 2023.
The midfield, who has been at Barcelona since 2005, has lifted 30 trophies at Camp Nou. An eight-time La Liga and three-time UEFA Champions League winner, Busquets has featured in 681 matches across all competitions for the Blaugrana. In the process, he registered 18 goals and provided 43 assists.
As for Pique, the situation is a lot trickier. Following the arrivals of Jules Kounde and Andreas Christensen in the ongoing transfer window, the centre-back is set to be demoted to the substitute bench this season. The Spaniard is expected to jump ship sooner rather than later, making things more complicated from Barcelona's perspective.
Pique has contributed 53 goals and 16 assists in 603 appearances for the La Liga giants. He has also helped the club lift a staggering 30 trophies, including eight La Liga titles and three UEFA Champions League trophies.
The Blaugrana opened their 2022-23 La Liga season with a 0-0 draw at Camp Nou against Rayo Vallecano this Sunday (August 14). The club will next lock horns with Real Sociedad away from home on August 22.
Marco van Basten hits out at Barcelona for their 'behavior'
Speaking on Ziggo Sport, former Netherlands striker Marco van Basten claimed that former Barcelona head coach Johan Cruyff would be ashamed of the Blaugrana's conduct this summer. He said:
"I think Johan Cruyff would have been ashamed if he saw the way Barça was acting today. In my opinion, Barça's behavior has been far below their standards."
Despite being €1.3 billion in debt, the Blaugrana have continued to splash the cash on high-profile players this summer. The club have taken their transfer spree past €150 million owing to the sale of 25% of their La Liga television rights to a US-based investment firm.
