Yahoo Sports Aitana Bonmatí signs new contract with Barcelona
“It was all parts desire,” said Cristian Martín, Aitana Bonmatí’s agent, and Bonmatí will keep playing for Barcelona for four more seasons. The Ballon d’Or winner had one year left on her contract and did not hesitate to pen a new deal with the club.
Before signing a new deal, Bonmatí rejected some juicy offers. Chelsea had offered to pay her €3 million (£2.5m) release clause, which was rejected. NWSL clubs have also expressed interest and tabled astronomical amounts of money to get Aitana’s services.
Bonmatí has been playing for Barcelona since 2011 and the idea of leaving is difficult, especially when things are going so well. Aitana is the club’s top scorer in the Champions League with 22 goals. She has already won 23 trophies with Barça, including five Liga F titles and three European titles. However, the Catalan wants to add to her silverware count and she now has more time to do just that.
The new deal came at a great time — almost a year before Bonmatí’s former contract expired. It happened just before the Ballon d’Or awards, which could increase her value if she wins for a consecutive year. This movement is set to be one of the biggest Barcelona have ever done.
WSL and NWSL transfer risks
“We will see if Barcelona and other European clubs can compete against the British league in the market if their leagues do not improve,” said Cristian Martin in an interview at Catalunya Ràdio. The risk is that leagues have been viewed as ‘boring’ in comparison to the WSL and the NWSL, and players have other ambitions.
This summer it has already happened. The likes of Mariona Caldentey, Ana Maria Crnogorcevic, Hayley Raso, Gabi Nunes, and others left the Spanish league. In search of a more competitive league, some top stars have made the switch to England and the United States.
