Sergi Roberto has reportedly popped up on the radars of Arsenal and Manchester City, who are eyeing a Bosman move for the Barcelona utility man.
According to a report by Spanish outlet Fichajes, Arsenal and Manchester City are interested in signing Sergi Roberto in next summer’s transfer window. The Spanish utility man is in the final year of his contract with Barcelona, meaning the prospect of a Bosman move could soon emerge.
Sergi Roberto has been with Barcelona since 2006, having joined the club’s famed academy La Masia from Gimnastic Tarragona. And in three years’ time, the Spanish international has graduated from the youth setup to the reserve side, although it was not until the 2013/14 season that the utility man finally earned his breakthrough in the first-team squad.
To date, the 29-year-old has made 311 appearances for Barcelona, chipping in with 12 goals and 37 assists along the way. The Blaugrana, though, are in a precarious position over the future of Roberto, who has entered the last year of his deal with the club. His situation at Barcelona has now piqued the interest of Arsenal and Manchester City.
The interest from Arsenal is interesting yet also understandable despite the arrival of Takehiro Tomiyasu in the summer. The Japanese international has been impressive in the few outings he has been afforded so far, although it is important to note that there are very few other right-back options beyond him in the first-team squad apart from makeshift ones like Ainsley Maitland-Niles.
To that end, Roberto is a viable target for Arsenal, who could also utilise him in midfield if Mohamed Elneny is finally offloaded next summer. Manchester City, on the other hand, are eyeing the Barcelona utlity man as a potential option in midfield.
With that in mind, a move for the 29-year-old makes sense, as Fernandinho is in the last legs of his illustrious career and will need to be succeeded soon enough. To that end, Roberto is a viable target for Manchester City, who have also been linked with Aston Villa midfielder Jacob Ramsey as well.
What now remains to be seen is if Barcelona make an attempt to secure the long-term future of Roberto in the weeks and months to come. However, if by the turn of the year, a renewal has not been agreed, it will not be surprising to see Arsenal or Manchester City launch the offensive over a Bosman move.