Barcelona have ‘zero interest’ in renewing veteran’s contract

Sergi Roberto’s representative has claimed that Barcelona have ‘zero interest’ in renewing his contract and that the versatile defender is well on course to leave the club on a free transfer in the summer.

One of the longest-serving players in the team, Roberto is out of contract at the end of the season and talks regarding potential renewal haven’t resulted in anything positive. It is believed the player and the club are convinced that the two will part ways once the deal runs out.

According to Mundo Deportivo, Roberto’s agent Josep Maria Orobitg had a meeting with Barcelona’s director of football Mateu Alemany but there has been no breakthrough. The 30-year-old was initially offered a two-year deal by the club after his salary was already lowered due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but nothing substantial panned out from that too.

As of today, the club’s stance has taken a U-turn after they were willing to negotiate new terms in November 2021. This came after Roberto was forced to undergo surgery on his thigh to get permanent relief from a recurring injury. This is set to keep him out of action until April.

According to reports, Barcelona won’t resume contract talks until he returns to full fitness. Given the versatility and quality he brings, Roberto was expected to stay, but an unfortunate turn of events has forced Barcelona to work on trimming their wage bill, which will potentially see the end of Roberto’s tenure as a Cule.

As things stand, those in Roberto’s camp are waiting for Alemany to come up with a response despite knowing that the news won’t be sweet to the ears. Months of conversations and negotiations have resulted in absolutely nothing.

The 30-year-old has made 12 appearances for the team so far in the season, scoring twice and getting a solitary assist. During these 12 outings, Roberto featured in three different positions.