Barcelona veteran would have to agree to a 75% salary reduction to stay at the club

It wasn’t so long ago that a certain Sergi Roberto was looked upon as one of the most reliable players in the Barcelona roster. Destiny, however, has taken a turn for the worse as a new report from SPORT says the 30-year-old will have to accept a 75% salary reduction if he tends to continue at the club beyond his current contract.

Roberto’s current Barcelona deal expires at the end of the season, and although it is said that Xavi wants him to continue, the Catalan management seems to have other opinions. 

As of today, the six-time La Liga champion is recovering from the muscle injury that forced him to undergo surgery earlier in the season. As a result, he has been limited to a mere 12 appearances across all competitions and hasn’t featured since starting in a 1-0 defeat to Rayo Vallecano in October 2021.

It’s not to say that Barcelona are forcing him to leave in the summer, but if they are to present any formal offer ahead of his expiry, one can rightly expect it to be so low that it would be an interpretation of their desire of wanting him to leave. 

As for the player, he has no shortage of any offers, but his priority has always been to stay with Barcelona and succeed under Xavi. But Barcelona have different plans, and Roberto seems to have no place in it. 

It’s no secret that Barcelona are actively pursuing Ajax’s Noussair Mazraoui, who will be a free agent by the end of the season. If the Moroccan is to arrive, Xavi will have as many as three right-backs at his disposal; four if you include Oscar Mingueza. And overstaffing is something that the Barcelona board is trying to avoid.

Hence, whatever is being done with regards to Roberto can be deemed as a respectful approach. After all, apart from being the six-time La Liga champion, he has also won two UEFA Champions League, six Copa del Rey and three Supercopa Espana titles with Barcelona.