Report: Roadblocks in contract and salary-cut talks for Barcelona captain

Given Barcelona’s dire financial situation, the club had to negotiate pay cuts with their captains in order to be able to register the signings in time for the start of the La Liga campaign.

Gerard Pique was the first to accept the wage reduction while Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba soon followed suit as well. The fourth Barca captain, Sergi Roberto, too has been in talks over a new deal on a reduced salary, but things do not seem to be going smoothly.

Unlike the remaining three captains, Roberto is in the final year of his Barcelona contract. So, not only do the club have to agree a wage reduction, but also an extension with the Spanish international.

Positive talks had been held between Barcelona and Roberto’s camp, reports ARA. The basic details of a new deal, that would run till the summer of 2024, had been worked out as well. The Catalan giants want the 29-year-old to agree to a 30% cut on his current salary.

However, after the latest meeting between his agent, Josep Mario Orobitg and Barca director Mateu Alemany, it seems like negotiations have taken a backseat at the moment.

The reason for putting the talks on hold has not been clarified in the report. But it does state that both parties remain confident of striking an agreement eventually and any extreme measures, such as a January exit for Roberto, is not being considered as things stand.

Roberto, a product of Barcelona’s youth academy, is not exactly a regular starter for the team currently. More of an utility man at the present, the 29-year-old has been used as a right-back or a central midfielder depending on the needs and the absence of other players in the squad.

The 10-time capped Spanish international has six appearances in the 2021/22 season across all competitions, scoring two goals and setting up one more.