Sergi Roberto could leave Barcelona for a stint in the MLS.
Roberto has got less than six months remaining in his current contract and Barcelona have given no indication to the Spaniard that they want to renew. Currently, the Blaugrana have Dani Alves and Sergino Dest to fill in the right defensive flank.
Toni Juanmarti and Actualite-Barca on Twitter confirmed that Roberto is looking to activate his option of playing in the MLS, for LA Galaxy. This is because Barca are looking at options for the future, in Sergino Dest and Noussair Mazraoui. They are in pole position to sign Mazraoui from Ajax next summer. It will be a free deal.
Sergi Roberto – Current situation at Barcelona
Roberto is recovering from an injury and is not far away from rejoining the first team. With that said, the 30-year-old has been linked with a move away from Barcelona in recent times. The contract talks between Barca and Roberto are on hold, with Barca focusing on completing other operations.
Los Cules are working on tying down Pablo Gavi and Ronald Araujo to new long-term contracts. There has been evidence that Roberto’s camp is growing increasingly impatient with the club’s approach regarding his contract situation.
Roberto previously has been linked with a move to Manchester City as well. But, his performances in the last two years have not given Barca any reason to rush on his renewal.
There were talks between the two parties a few months back but an agreement could not be reached due to the player’s financial demands.
Long time coming?
It was inevitable that Barca would look beyond Sergi Roberto at some point or the other. The resurgence of Dest and their strong interest in Mazraoui simply proves that.
Xavi wants Roberto to stay mainly because of his adaptability and versatility. The 42-year-old believes that he can play as an inverted right-back.
The 30-year-old defender cum midfielder was a regular starter under Ronald Koeman but his injury could change the equation for him. Dest, Mingueza, and Alves are ahead of him in the pecking order. The former La Liga champions are looking at a defensive revamp and Roberto is in line to be the first casualty.
There is no doubt about his quality. However, he has failed to live up to his expectations in the last two seasons.
The 30-year-old though has had another disappointing season. In the nine games that he has played in, he has two goals and an assist to his name. He was also greeted by jeers from fans on many occasions. This is because the impression was that Roberto’s reluctance to take a pay cut was one of the reasons behind Lionel Messi’s shock exit.
Xavi will push for Roberto’s renewal but it will not make sense if Barca continue to pursue Mazraoui. Barca can also offer a short-term contract to the player.
Anything can happen before the end of next summer. So far, Sergi Roberto staying has not been ruled out. With Xavi believing that Roberto is an asset for the team, one has to imagine that the club will meet him in the near future.