Sergi Roberto, the first captain of FC Barcelona for the last team, is in a very precarious situation right now. The midfielder’s contract with the Catalan club expired at the end of last month, and thus, he is technically no longer a Blaugrana player.
However, he is still waiting for an offer from Barcelona for a renewal, but it is very uncertain whether he will receive one from the Catalans.
Xavi Hernandez, who was the main supporter of his continuity at the Blaugrana club, is no longer in charge of the team, and his departure has messed up all the plans that the Spanish entity had for the La Masia graduate.
Such a situation is definitely not easy for any player to face. As Diario AS has reported, the Spanish midfielder, described as a ‘Tremendous captain’ by Xavi Hernández, has not even been called up for the medical examinations scheduled for 10th July, which means that he is not expected to turn up for the first training sessions under the new head coach, Hansi Flick.
For now, it is not clear whether Roberto will use the club’s training facilities till he waits to see this contractual situation sorted. But as things stand, no one has received any notification from Barcelona in this regard, so the versatile midfielder cannot train at Ciutat Esportiva, and will have to train on his own.
Up to now, the club’s posturing shows that his renewal is not a priority issue, and whether he stays for another season at the Catalan club will be determined by their FFP situation.
Although he does not like him as much as Xavi, Flick has still not closed the doors on him, and values Roberto’s important role in the dressing room, especially in regards to the youngsters.
Thus, Sergi Roberto has the ball in his court. If he is willing to wait, Barcelona might make him a renewal offer with the same economic stipulations as he had in his last contract if their wage bill allowed it.
But he is also studying the possibility of accepting one of the other offers he has on the table, especially as Barcelona are going to need some time to address this issue.