Just in: Barcelona right-back rejects first renewal offer from club

Sergi Roberto is one of two Barcelona veterans that have their contracts expiring at the end of the season. While it is Sergio Busquets who has made all the headlines due to speculations over a potential move away from Camp Nou, Barça are equally keen on keeping hold of Roberto.

The Spaniard has been extremely useful with his experience and versatility. This season, for one, Roberto has played as a right-back multiple times and his presence in the first-team has been crucial, especially with Hector Bellerin enduring a woeful return to Barça.

In light of his utility, Barcelona had recently made an effort to convince Roberto to prolong his stay at Camp Nou. But according to Luis Rojo, the 30-year-old has rejected Barcelona’s first renewal offer.

The two entities are expected to continue talks in an attempt to reach an agreement. But Roberto’s rejection further compounds Barcelona’s problems with the contracts of their players.

There has been a lot of talk recently about Barcelona’s tension with La Liga over the registration of Gavi’s contract extension, with many believing that the Spanish league changed its own laws to prevent the club from registering the youngster.

Nevertheless, it is apparent that Barcelona are not in a position to offer lucrative salaries even to their star players. This is why Roberto’s rejection of Barça’s first offer is particularly interesting as it indicates that the defender might have asked for improved terms.

Given the Catalan entity’s current financial state, it will be a challenge for them to conjure up an improved contract for Roberto, who is part of the first team only due to his versatility rather than the quality of his performances.

However, it must be noted that both parties have a strong relationship and it will not come as a surprise to see Roberto reaching an agreement with the club sooner rather than later.