I gave up on seeing two of the best midfielders of all time, Andres Iniesta and Xavi, in the Premier League a long time ago. But maybe I was wrong to do so. It looks like the younger of the two, 29-year-old Iniesta, has become a bit antsy. He could be about to fly the coop at the Nou Camp.
His Barcelona contract will run out in 2015 and it looks as though new terms are not forthcoming. Barca are trying their best to tie him down with a new contract, but the Spaniard just doesn’t seem to be interested.
It’s thought that Iniesta is ‘frustrated at developments on the pitch under new boss Gerardo Martino’ (Source: The Mirror).
It’s also been suggested that he bares a grudge over the dismissal of physio Emili Ricart, who has played an important role in his career. Iniesta has spent much of his time at Barcelona dealing with niggling knee injuries, but Ricart was always there to help him back on his feet.
It’s easy to see why Iniesta may be upset or frustrated with his current situation. Whether this is enough for him to force a move away from the club where he has already become a legend, remains to be seen.
Where he’ll end up is also anybody’s guess. Still, the Papers have been quick to link him to Manchester United, who are currently on the look-out for a hot-shot midfielder.
As things currently stand David Moyes’ side is suffering from a major creative deficit. Michael Carrick is a decent holding midfielder, but he’s not the type to pick out a defense-splitting pass. Neither is Marouane Fellaini, who’s better at the defensive side of the game. Then there’s Shinji Kagawa who has been thrust out wide thanks to a lack of impact in the centre-of-the-park.
So bringing in somebody as good (and as effective) as Andres Iniesta would be a massive step forward. He would revolutionise Manchester United and install Moyes’ side as title-favourites for the next two or three seasons to come.
It’ll be interesting to see how United play this one. With his contract running down, the longer they leave things, the cheaper he’ll cost. But given the fact that they already have a clear and present need, I wouldn’t be surprised if Moyes opted to swoop in this January or later this summer.
It’s still difficult to believe that this deal could really happen, but that won’t stop me from crossing my fingers.
What’s your take? Could Manchester United really seal a deal for Andres Iniesta?
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