According to Diario Sport, Manchester City are plotting a summer swoop for Barcelona full-back Sergi Roberto.
Sergi Roberto, 29, had a very underwhelming LaLiga campaign as Barcelona finished third under the management of Ronald Koeman.
He was limited to just 15 LaLiga appearances after being tested positive for Coronavirus and recurrent muscle injuries. When the full-back returned from a long injury layoff, he looked out of sorts often on the pitch.
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The Spanish defender’s current contract at Camp Nou is due to expire in the summer of 2022, and while his priority is to stay at Barcelona, he will not accept a new contract with reduced terms if offered and immediately initiate the idea of joining Manchester City, Diario Sport claims.
Barcelona president Joan Laporta wants to trim his squad and offload a few players this summer after a disappointing LaLiga campaign.
Sergi Roberto is deemed sellable by the Catalan giants, with Sergino Dest and Emerson likely to replace him at right-back, Diario Sport reports.
Manchester City tried to sign Roberto last summer only for the player himself to shut down the move. However, things are different now and Roberto himself is interested to play in the Premier League. Pep Guardiola likes the 29-year-old and thinks he fits in his system at the Etihad Stadium perfectly, the report adds.
The Sky Blues are planning for a busy summer of ins and outs after once again falling short of their aspirations to win the Champions League. With Sergio Aguero joining Barcelona on a free transfer and Eric Garcia set to follow suit, Guardiola must fill their voids in the transfer market to maintain his squad’s quality and strength in depth.
Sergi Roberto is the latest player to be linked with City. Primarily a full-back, Roberto’s versatility allows him to operate in midfield or wide areas. He could come in at City and compete with the likes of Kyle Walker and Joao Cancelo at right-back, whilst operating in defensive midfield when required.
The Spanish international, who seems very much surplus to requirements at Camp Nou, is likely to be available in a cut-price deal this summer due to his contractual situation. Guardiola knows the player in and out having managed him at Barcelona, and with the City tactician keen to sign him there’s certainly some plan in place to use the Spaniard.
Barcelona like Manchester City defender Aymeric Laporte, who fell behind Ruben Dias and John Stones in the pecking order and played fewer games than he would have expected this season. Barcelona and City share a good relationship, and the signing of Aguero plus Garcia’s imminent arrival has further strengthened it.
Thus, there won’t be any problems for City in reaching an agreement with the Catalan club for Roberto, the report concludes.