Barcelona made key contract decision for two sporting and financial reasons | OneFootball

Andreas Christensen was one of the FC Barcelona players who had only a single year left on his contract during the last season. This coupled with the constant physical problems he has been suffering from for the last few years made his future at the Catalan club highly uncertain.

However, despite his problems and the presence of other defenders in the team, the Blaugrana club made the bet on him to extend his contract, not only for a single year, but for another two years. An agreement has already been reached for this extension, even though it is yet to be announced.

The club’s decision to give him a two-year contract raised some questions, but SPORT has identified the sporting and economic reasons underlying it.

Despite having several other center-backs, Hansi Flick still highly values the former Chelsea defender, particularly for his ability to play also as a pivot. His technical ability, positioning, and experience are also highly valued, and Flick also believes he is one of the best center-backs in progressing the ball from the back.

Meanwhile, the defender has also given away almost half of his salary with this new contract, and a good part of his income would now depend on his performances. He was particularly convinced by the Blaugrana project under Flick, and ignored other, more appealing offers, to remain at the club.

Another important point in this regard was the fact that the Dane is still only 30 years old, and has several years to continue playing at the highest level. Thus, if he performs well next season, Barcelona can also sell him next summer to make up for the cost of his wages, or even make a profit on him.

Saudi clubs had shown an interest in him in recent years, but with his renewal, one can hope that Andreas Christensen would return to his best level and prove to be a valuable defender for Barcelona next season.