Barcelona considering contract U-turn for Sergi Roberto
Barcelona are contemplating tying Sergi Roberto down to a new contract to prevent him from walking away for free next summer.
The right-back has entered the final year of his current deal and was thought to have been made available for transfer this summer after Barcelona initially decided he would not be offered a new contract.
But according to Marca, things might have changed and Barcelona are now considering offering Roberto a new two-year deal to tie him to the club until 2024 in a bid to preserve his value.
The club's change of heart primarily stems from the fact that nobody seems willing to buy him this summer. Barcelona are asking for £17m but have found no club willing to pay that for a player who would be available for free next year.
There have also been attempts to include Roberto in swap deals for other targets, including Manchester City players like Bernardo Silva, Joao Cancelo and Aymeric Laporte, but those have ended in failure.
As it stands, Roberto is heading towards a free transfer next summer and Barcelona are adamant they will not lose the 29-year-old for nothing.
The main issue is whether Roberto actually wants to extend. Marca's report focuses on why extending his deal would benefit Barcelona because he would accept a lesser salary and could just be sold next summer, but it remains to be seen whether he'd have interest in such plans.
It's difficult to see Roberto accepting a wage cut and committing to stay at a club who aren't being subtle about their desire to get rid of him anyway, especially when signing a new deal would just make it harder for him to find a new club.
Various muscle injuries restricted Roberto to just 15 La Liga appearances last year, but that number is expected to drop this season as Barcelona commit to young Sergino Dest.
Barça must also decide on the future of 22-year-old Emerson, who has been brought back to the club after an excellent spell with Real Betis.