Why Barcelona could sell Pjanic despite promising pre-season
Karan Tejwani
- Updated: 18 Jul 2022 12:44 BST
- 3 min read
Miralem Pjanic is reportedly one of the players on the fringes at Barcelona, but coach Xavi may give him a chance on the club’s pre-season tour in the United States this summer.
The Bosnian midfielder spent the last season on loan at Turkish club Besiktas, and the Blaugrana are looking to sell the player to trim the squad and help their financial condition.
Pjanic joined Barcelona in 2020 from Juventus in a move that saw Arthur Melo go the other way, and despite featuring 30 times in the 2020-21 season, he has not been relied upon since.
He made an impression in Turkey, with many fans wishing for his return to Besiktas, but his high salary demands may not make that possible.
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Instead, he will be given the chance to show his qualities while the club are away on their pre-season tour in the US, which is why Xavi included him in the squad.
Pre-season may not be enough for Pjanic
Other players such as Riqui Puig and Oscar Mingueza were left behind, but that has not been the case for Pjanic, who showed some quality in Barcelona’s first pre-season friendly against Olot.
Xavi thinks Pjanic would be a valuable back-up to Sergio Busquets at the base of the Barcelona midfield and could be useful to have in the squad if he keeps his form.
Maestro 👟⚽️ pic.twitter.com/LIZ8Hwb2mb
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona_es) July 13, 2022
However, his high wage of €8 million-per-season could be a stumbling block if they wish to keep him as they need to make space on the wage bill to register new signings.
Pjanic has attracted interest from clubs abroad, including a few from the Middle East, where Saudi Arabia’s Al Nassr have reportedly been in talks.
The Blaugrana will play four friendlies across the pond, starting off with a game against David Beckham-owned Inter Miami, before a Clasico against Real Madrid in Las Vegas.
Then, they play Juventus in Los Angeles and then wrap up the tour with a match against the New York Red Bulls in New Jersey, before heading back to Barcelona for the Joan Gamper Trophy match against Pumas.
This will be a chance for Pjanic to show his quality and prove that he deserves to stay at the Camp Nou for the upcoming season, as Barcelona gear up for an exciting campaign.
