FC Barcelona are ready to offload Sergi Roberto in the summer, with the utility star being valued at around €60 million by the La Liga giants.
According to Mundo Deportivo, Barcelona’s newly elected president Joan Laporta has vested interest in the club’s expiring contracts. The Spaniard desires to tie down key players like Lionel Messi, Ousmane Dembele and Ilaix Moriba to a new contract, but one such player that faces an uncertain future at Camp Nou is Sergi Roberto.
It appears Laporta has left head coach Ronald Koeman with the decision of whether or not to extend the contract of the midfielder. Roberto’s current contract at Nou Camp expires in the summer of 2022, and the player could be allowed to leave the club for a fee of around €60 million in the upcoming summer transfer window, should Koeman deem him surplus to the requirements.
Roberto’s ongoing campaign at Barcelona has already been marred by injuries, with the Spaniard making only eight appearances in La Liga. He is currently struggling with a muscle injury that has kept him out on the sidelines for a combined total of almost four months while the player was also infected with Covid-19 earlier in the campaign.
As a result, Barcelona are now open to moving on from Roberto, which serves well for the likes of Sergino Dest and Oscar Mingueza. Both the youngsters have mainly operated in the vacant right-back position so far this campaign, although Koeman may still want to look for a new option, should Roberto leaves the club in the summer.
One particular player linked with a move to Catalonia in the summer is Hector Bellerin. The Arsenal star is poised to end his association with the north London outfit in the summer, and having previously played at La Masia youth academy, could appear as an attractive option for Koeman.
The Spaniard, though, is destined to cost a fortune, especially in terms of his salary as the right-back is already one of the highest-paid defenders in the Premier League. As such, Barcelona may have to shift their attention towards other alternatives.
Alternatively, they could keep hold of Roberto, whose experience at the highest level of football, combined with his versatility are sure to be useful for Koeman, especially in the event of an injury crisis. Therefore, it will be interesting to see what the future holds of the La Masia youth product in the upcoming summer transfer window.
