Barcelona hope out-of-favour defender Pique will "keep his word"

"We're hit rock bottom. If I have to step aside for new blood to come in, I will," said Gerard Pique after Barcelona were beaten 8-2 by Bayern Munich.

"If Ronald Koeman tells me tomorrow that I have to leave, I will leave football. I won't play for any team that is not Barça," Pique said last year.

"I will retire at Barça, but not as a substitute," he also said in 2021.

They are all phrases Pique has repeated in recent seasons, while he was a key part of the Barcelona side and was vocal on and off the pitch.

Pique is not having the best time of things at the moment because his public persona has disappeared (he has only posted on Twitter once since June 9) as he separates from his partner Shakira and is being left on the bench by Barça coach Xavi.

The signing of top centre-backs Andreas Christensen and Jules Kounde and the development of youngsters Eric Garcia and Ronald Araujo has left Pique out of the picture at the age of 35.

And with the biggest salary in the squad and the league (52 million euros per season according to Capology), everything indicates he could end up being a problem for Barcelona.

The club, sources have told SPORT, admit as much because it does not benefit the club on the pitch and it damages them financially. Therefore, it's not strange for the hierarchy to be wondering "if Pique will keep his word," in relation to his previous comments.

That's because they want Pique to be conscious of what he has said in the past and step aside to allow new blood to come through.