Xavi has Barcelona right-back in his plans, wants to use him like Cancelo at Man City

Sergi Roberto’s name has divided the Barcelona fanbase for years. The Spaniard broke into the team as a promising midfielder since then elevated his status to that of a cult hero with the clutch winner against Paris Saint-Germain, and then a glorious dribble vs Real Madrid, all within a span of a few weeks in the 2016/17 season.

However, he has been the subject of controversy since then, as his performances have not hit the mark. That coupled with his injuries recently make him a highly debatable player, especially with his contract expiring in 2022.

According to ARA, Xavi is completely in favour of extending Roberto’s contract. He appreciates the player’s profile and considers that he could be used as an inverted right-back, much like Dani Alves.

The inverted fullback profile means that the player starts out wide and tucks into the midfield when the team has possession to create overloads in the midfield. This concept was made popular by none other than Pep Guardiola during his time at Bayern Munich.

He still uses this concept, with Joao Cancelo starting as the left-back but often drifting inwards to form a double pivot of-sorts with Rodri. He has the license to move up as a central midfielder in half-spaces to underlap while the wingers stay wide.

Yesterday, Alves was used in a similar capacity against Atletico Madrid. His presence, coupled with Frenkie de Jong dropping deep, created a formation that resembled a 2-3-2-3. Gavi started as the left-winger but joined Pedri in midfield to form two no. 10s.

Roberto’s positioning has been suspect in the last few months, but if he can learn the trade of the tool under Xavi, his profile could be a potent weapon for the team.