Barcelona star open to exit as initial contract offer is very low - Reports
Barcelona veteran Sergi Roberto is reportedly open to leaving the club in the summer.
The Blaugrana and Roberto have been involved in extending the latter's contract, which expires this summer, without any success so far. Football Espana even reported that manager Xavi Hernandez was keen on his former teammate extending his deal.
However, new reports from Adria Albets on Twitter (via Barca Universal) suggest that the Catalans' proposal to Roberto involved a very low salary offer. Albets wrote about a meeting between the club and the player on April 12 (translated from Spanish):
"Meeting today between Barça and Sergi Roberto's agents: Proposal from Barça very low. The player prioritizes following but does not rule out any scenarios."
Reunión hoy entre Barça y agentes de Sergi Roberto:👉 Reunión hoy entre Barça y agentes de Sergi Roberto:
-Posiciones muy alejadas, casi no ha habido avances hoy.
-Nueva cita para el martes que viene por la mañana.
-Propuesta del Barça muy a la baja. El jugador prioriza seguir pero no descarta ningún escenario.
He added that close to no progress was made during the meeting and that they will speak again on April 19:
"Very distant positions, there has been almost no progress today. New appointment for next Tuesday morning."
Roberto has notably not been in action for Barcelona since their 1-0 La Liga defeat against Rayo Vallecano back in October last year due to a hamstring injury. Up until then, he had enjoyed a good start to the season, scoring twice and assisting once in 12 matches across all competitions.
Sergi Roberto has enjoyed a successful stint at Barcelona so far
Roberto rose through the Barcelona academy before making his first-team debut in 2011. He has since played 316 times for the club in all competitions, scoring 16 times and recording 37 assists.
The 30-year-old also contributed to one of the most iconic moments in the Catalans' history during the 2016-17 season. Roberto scored the match-winner in his side's 6-5 aggregate victory against Paris Saint-Germain in the Round of 16 of the UEFA Champions League.
The match saw Barcelona overturn a 4-0 deficit with an incredible 6-1 victory at the Camp Nou, with Roberto scoring the final goal in the fifth minute of injury-time.
The greatest knockout stage comeback off all-time? PSG went to Barcelona with a 4-0 lead in their L16 clash in 2017.
The La Liga giants weren't to be deterred and went and scored 6 goals at Camp Nou with Sergio Roberto's effort proving the winner.
#UCL https://t.co/J36mWuNjxZ
The Spaniard, who can play as a right-back and in midfield, has also won several honors during his time with the club. Roberto has lifted six La Liga titles, six Spanish Cups and five Spanish Super Cups domestically. On the continental stage, he has won two Champions League titles, two UEFA Super Cups and two FIFA Club World Cups.