(Football news) Barcelona could be close to selling midfielder Miralem Pjanic as a move to UAE-based club Sharjah FC may be confirmed soon. Reports emerged in Spain on Monday that Pjanic received a three-year contract offer from the Middle East outfit and Barça are open to sanctioning his sale as he is not a major part of Xavi’s plans at the Spotify Camp Nou. Reliable Italian journalist Giacomo Iacobellis also stated that Pjanic is seeing the three-year deal as ‘too good to turn down’.

The report also claims that the former Juventus midfielder wants to remain at Barcelona while manager Xavi Hernandez is also keen on keeping hold of him as he sees Pjanic as a back up to their midfield trio. However, Pjanic’s current situation is forcing him to seriously consider the offer from UAE. He was not sold in the summer as Xavi had some other plans but since there will be a lot of games this season. The ex-Lyon player hasn’t played a single minute of football this season and Pjanic is behind the first-choice trio of Pedri, Gavi, and Busquets in the pecking order while both Frenkie de Jong and Franck Kessie were also ahead of him on the list.

De Jong not leaving the club in the summer has meant that Barça are looking at other methods to trim their wage bill, which further casts doubts on Pjanic’s future. Given the circumstances, a lucrative three-year contract proposal from Sharjah FC has a certain appeal to the former Juventus and AS Roma midfielder. Fabrizio Romano also reported late on Monday that Pjanic was already close to leaving the club. Should Pjanic leave, it will free up the wage bill for Barcelona who can register the contract extensions of Ronald Araujo and Gavi with the La Liga.

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