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STUTTGART, GERMANY – JULY 31: Miralem Pjanic of FC Barcelona with the ball during a pre-season friendly match between VfB Stuttgart and FC Barcelona at Mercedes-Benz Arena on July 31, 2021 in Stuttgart, Germany. (Photo by Pedro Salado/Quality Sport Images/Getty Images)
BARCELONA, SPAIN – AUGUST 08: Miralem Pjanic of FC Barcelona waves the fans during the Joan Gamper Trophy match between FC Barcelona and Juventus at Estadi Johan Cruyff on August 08, 2021 in Barcelona, Spain. (Photo by Eric Alonso/Getty Images)
Miralem Pjanic was an unused substitute in Barcelona’s match against Juventus
Miralem Pjanic did not feature in Barcelona’s 3-0 win over Juventus in the Joan Gamper match. He and the club had been working on an exit and it finally appears on the verge of happening.
According to Sport, the 31-year-old is set to return to Juventus on a season-long loan with an option for an additional two years. His departure was seen as one of the priorities in order to reduce the wage bill. To facilitate the move, Pjanic has agreed on a 20% pay cut.
The Bosnian midfielder arrived last season from Juventus in a peculiar operation that also saw Arthur Melo go the other way.
Pjanic arrived with great expectation but his role under Ronald Koeman kept diminishing as the season wore on. When it was announced the Dutchman was going to remain in charge for another season, the writing was on the wall.
He only wanted to go back to Juventus despite some reported interest from the Premier League. He was an important part of the Serie A side under Max Allegri. With his return to the bench, he believes he can be an important player under him once more.
His move benefits both he and the club in an a number of ways. Barcelona get a high earner off the books and Pjanic returns to play for a manager who has confidence. He also spares himself the abuse from the Catalan supporters.
During the pregame ceremony, Pjanic, alongside Samuel Umtiti, were booed and whistled as they have been singled out as the reason why the club was unable to register Lionel Messi.
His stint at the club, similar to a number of players the last couple of seasons, will end without much fanfare and with little to remember. He seemed like an ideal addition at the time but whether through lack of playing time or poor performances, he never showed the level he demonstrated while at Juventus.
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