Sergio Busquets Merits New Barca Deal but Replacing Xavi, Iniesta Is Tall Order

Barcelona received a boost with the news that key central midfielder Sergio Busquets is set to sign a new contract with the club on Thursday.

As reported by AS, Busquets' new deal will run until 2019, with the option of a further year, keeping the homegrown player at the club well through his peak years and beyond.

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Breaking: Sergio Busquets has extended his Barcelona contract until 2019. Reported release clause €175m #FCB pic.twitter.com/BLtQOOU4fY

— Bleacher Report UK (@br_uk) February 26, 2015"

The report also indicates that the holding midfielder will now be on parity with the likes of Andres Iniesta and Xavi Hernandez in terms of his wages, and it is also on the pitch where he now has to extend his influence to a similar level to that which this duo have managed.

Period of Change

The current campaign has seen Xavi start to be phased out of the side. In any given "strongest XI" match, there is a fair likelihood that he will begin the game on the bench, even if he makes regular appearances from there and gets the odd run from the start, too.

David Ramos/Getty Images

Iniesta's influence isn't exactly on the wane completely, but injury and a readjustment to a slightly different requirement from the midfield means he hasn't quite been at his devastating best this season, as Barcelona's midfield undergoes the biggest change it has had in around a decade over probably the next two or three seasons.

Sergio Busquets, then, has to be the one to provide continuity. It's a fair bet he'll wear the captain's armband on more than one occasion over the coming years, the long-term influence in the dressing room as the man of the club and someone who has a vital on-pitch role to perform.

Busquets' Down-time

Speaking of his on-pitch fortunes, Busquets was a key part of Barcelona's great start to the season; he was exemplary in his control of the centre of the park, demonstrating rapidity in winning back and distributing the ball and protecting the defence. The early wins and clean sheets were in no small part down to his awareness and reading of the game—but it didn't last more than a month or two.

Alex Caparros/Getty Images

The No. 5 dipped off alarmingly after that point, not playing with his usual intensity or intelligence and causing more than the odd goal to be given away. After a tough period, when from the outside it has at times looked as though moving Javier Mascherano into the holding role might be the better option, Busquets has gradually eased himself back to good form.

He's not at his top level yet, but he is performing well and is worthy of his place.

The key in replacing Xavi and Iniesta—not in terms of creativity, of course, but in terms of a long-term presence in the centre of the park, as a face of the club's midfield and as an ambassador on the pitch—is to maintain his form and consistency over longer periods. He must be the focal point for success, even as a defensive-minded player.

Dictating the flow of the game, being the aggressor in a team full of technicians, can make him stand out.

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No La Liga player has completed more passes since the start of last season than Sergio Busquets (3,630). Metronome. pic.twitter.com/g7znJRRgmt

— Squawka Football (@Squawka) February 26, 2015"

Future

While Busquets patrols behind, the new-look midfield can see any two of Rafinha, Ivan Rakitic or Iniesta roam ahead of him. That shouldn't be expected to change over the next year or so, though a fourth addition to that group is not out of the question should Xavi depart at the end of the campaign—and Sergi Roberto not be deemed good enough.

Gonzalo Arroyo Moreno/Getty Images

Barcelona won't be signing anyone in the summer due to their ban, but a January arrival could signal yet more change in that area of the team.

Through it all, though, Busquets will now remain in place, to the contrary of reports earlier in the week stating he wanted to leave.

It's a boost to Barcelona to know that they will have that continuity in place, but for Busquets to really make that zone his own, he needs to step up even further than he has done in the past and become as much a leader as Xavi was in his prime.

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