
What’s the matter with Andrés Iniesta
Of the five league games played so far, he has been a substitute in two of them. The first time was against Levante and last time against Rayo Vallecano. In the three games that he has started, he has only completed 90 minutes at the Mestalla stadium against Valencia. In the Super Cup, he also played the whole game at the Vicente Calderon, but played only 17 minutes of the second leg at the Nou Camp. Iniesta also played the whole game against Ajax in the Champions League.
A year ago Iniesta received much applause along with the trophy for the best player in Europe. Beyond the statistics, it is also clear that his importance within the team is waning. It is only the beginning of the season, and Barcelona are assimilating new concepts that Martino hopes to instill in the side. Before the Rayo Vallecano game, Barca had never lost control of the possession of the ball although the margin was tight at (51% -49%). Andrés Iniesta has not yet found his place in the new club.
The player is also in the process of renewing his contract with the club. All indications that Barcelona has sent out is that the player’s renewal will be resolved ASAP. Iniesta is a fundamental player for the club and Barcelona want to acknowledge this with a contract set to make him the second highest paid player after Argentine Leo Messi.
Iniesta, meanwhile, has also stated on several occasions that he’s not looking outside Barcelona, he wants to continue as he feels at home. So, in theory, it’s just a matter of agreeing terms and the sooner the better.
But in the shadows, the English Premier League is lurking. According to information published on Sunday by the Daily Star, both Manchester United and City are going in for the Spanish midfielder. Iniesta would not be lacking in offers to leave the Catalan giants. Meanwhile Barca and Iniesta continue negotiating.
Iniesta must join Arsenal.