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Midfielder Andreas Iniesta is reportedly the latest Barcelona legend on Saudi Arabian clubs' radar. The Spaniard has announced his decision to leave J-League side Vissel Kobe but is not thinking of retirement yet.
As per a report in El Nacional, Iniesta is a target for some Saudi Arabian clubs. The report did not name the clubs, however. The midfielder has offers from other clubs too, with MLS sides and Albacete Balompié also keen.
Speaking to the media in Japan, Iniesta confirmed that he was not going to retire and wanted to keep playing. The 39-year-old was quoted by ESPN as saying:
"I have to tell you the truth, I don't know. I want to keep playing football. I feel like I am capable of still playing. But as this chapter closes, we'll see what's possible. I want to finish my career on the pitch playing, and this is what I'm hoping to do."
Jordi Alba, Sergio Busquets and Lionel Messi have also been linked with moves to Saudi Arabia as they all become free agents in the summer. The Argentine is in talks to return to Camp Nou as well but will have to wait before Barcelona get the green signal from La Liga.
Barcelona legend bids farewell to Japan
Andreas Iniesta moved to J-League side Vissel Kobe in 2018 after deciding to end his career at Barcelona. The midfielder believed that he would retire in Japan, but has now announced his decision to part ways with the club.
He was quoted by ESPN as saying:
“I always thought I would retire here, but things haven’t gone as I wanted them to. For the past few months I’ve trained hard with the intention of contributing to the team, but I started to feel that the coach had different priorities. That was my reality and I accepted it with respect. In the end, I decided in discussions with the club that the best decision was to leave, based on a combination of my competitive reality and the passion I felt for continuing to play."
The Barcelona legend added:
“I have grown a lot as a person and as a professional while being surrounded by great friends at Vissel Kobe. Not only did I get to play football, but I also got to experience and savour this wonderful Japanese culture. I now have special feelings for a country that has welcomed my family so warmly.”
Iniesta is open to returning to Barcelona but is not interested in doing so right now as he wants to continue playing and rejoin the club in a different role after retirement.
