Real Madrid star Luka Modric sent a classy message to Sergio Busquets after Barcelona confirmed the Spaniard would leave the club at the end of the season. Busquets, 34, will call time on his Barcelona career at the end of the month when his contract expires at the Camp Nou. The Spaniard has won 30 trophies in 15 seasons with the Catalans and is one of the club’s most decorated players of all-time. Barcelona offered Busquets an extension to his current contract but they wanted him to take a 70% paycut. The midfielder has already taken several paycuts to ease the club’s worsening financial position and he’s decided to move on. While Real Madrid have been Busquets’ biggest rival during his 15 years in the Barcelona first team, in the last decade Modric has been his direct opponent in the heart of Los Blancos’ midfield. But the Croatian put rivalries aside to send a classy message to Busquets after the news was announced yesterday.
“One of the best midfielders I’ve ever played against,” said Modric. “It has been a pleasure.” Busquets has offers on the table from Saudi Arabia but he’s not expected to announce his next move until the completion of the season. A move to the middle-east could see him reunite with Lionel Messi, who is considering a move to Saudi Arabia when his Paris Saint-Germain deal expires in June.