Barcelona Transfer News: Gerard Pique Wanted by David Beckham, Latest Rumours

David Beckham has reportedly offered Barcelona defender Gerard Pique a place in his MLS franchise in Miami when his days with the Catalan giants come to an end.

According to Sport (h/t Football Espana), the Spaniard has not given the former England international a concrete answer one way or the other, but he has given a "very positive" response and is believed to "look kindly upon the option of the United States as it would help his children learn English and enable him to further grow his business endeavours."

Sport's Toni Juanmarti adds the player is warming up to the idea of moving to the MLS "with each day that passes," following the example of former Catalan greats like Thierry Henry and David Villa. 

The 28-year-old has been a key player for the Blaugrana since returning to the Camp Nou in 2008 after being briefly allowed to move to Manchester United in his youth.

Pique has made over 300 appearances with the club, and in that time, he has won an incredible array of trophies, including five La Liga titles, three Copa del Reys and three Champions League titles.

An accomplished defender and exceptionally comfortable on the ball, the Spain international is one of the best centre-backs of his generation.

Football journalist Rafael Hernandez believes Pique has had an outstanding year and has been one of the best in the world in that time:

Further, he believes Pique played a crucial role in Barca's stunning five-trophy haul in 2015:

Per Football Espana's report, Beckham is hoping to have established the franchise by 2018 and is also hoping to bring fellow stars Wayne Rooney and Zlatan Ibrahimovic on board.

The Spaniard has plenty of time left in him at Barcelona, but by the time Beckham has entered the team into MLS, he could well be tempted to make the move as he will be at least 32 at that point.

Another player also set to stay at the Camp Nou for the time being is Marc Bartra.

Shizuo Kambayashi/Associated Press

According to JM Diaz of Sport, the defender is coveted by a number of teams ahead of the January transfer window and is hoping to earn more minutes on the pitch, even if that requires a move away. But "under strict instruction" from manager Luis Enrique, he will be kept as cover for Barca's lengthy campaign.

The 24-year-old divides opinion among fans and pundits alike. Hernandez believes the defender is an excellent player:

Spanish football expert Sergi Dominguez disagrees but believes he nevertheless makes a useful squad player:

Bartra's desire for more minutes is understandable having played just 836 in all competitions this season.

Equally, Barca typically tend to remain in cup competitions right to their conclusion and are still in the hunt for the UEFA Champions League and Copa del Rey as well as firmly embroiled in La Liga's title race.

The club aren't likely to jeopardise that by letting him go prematurely, so they'll likely keep him until at least the summer unless they can replace him in January.

While Bartra probably isn't going to get his move, he may well enjoy more significant playing time in the latter half of the season when Enrique is likely to rotate his squad to keep his key players fresh.