Miralem Pjanic joins Besiktas on loan to become latest player to leave Barcelona

Bosnian midfielder joins the likes of Messi, Griezmann, and Trincao in leaving the Camp Nou this summer

Miralem Pjanic leaves Barcelona on loan after a season at the club. Reuters

Bosnian midfielder Miralem Pjanic has become the latest player to leave Barcelona this summer after joining Besiktas on loan, the Turkish club announced on Friday.

Besiktas announced that they will pay €2.7 million ($3.2m) in order to secure the 31-year-old until June 2022.

Pjanic arrived at the Camp Nou last year from Juventus, where he had been since 2016. While the Bosnia international made 30 appearances for the Barca across all competitions, he failed to hold down a regular starting spot.

Barcelona have looked to reduce their wage bill in the transfer window amid huge debts that have seen several first team players depart.

Even the departure of Lionel Messi to Paris Saint-Germain was not enough for the club to meet La Liga's Financial Fair Play regulations so they could register new players.

As well as Messi's sensational exit, French forward Antoine Griezmann also left the club to rejoin Atletico Madrid on loan on deadline day.

Defenders Emerson Royal, Junior Firpo, and Jean-Clair Todibo, and winger Francisco Trincao are among other senior players to leave.

Barcelona said publicly they were asking senior players to agree to salary reductions and payment deferrals. Gerard Pique was first to agree, permitting new signings Emerson, who was then sold to Tottenham Hotspur, Memphis Depay and Eric Garcia to be registered.

Jordi Alba and captain Sergio Busquets followed suit on deadline day, meaning close-season capture Sergio Aguero could finally be registered.