- Man City had been linked with a move for Barcelona’s Sergi Roberto
- Roberto has a £35m release clause in his contract
- Pep Guardiola seemingly looking to add quality and depth to his Man City squad
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Based on Man City’s form so far this season, it’s unclear as to why Pep Guardiola would be targeting any new signings in January.
City have won 11 of their 12 Premier League games to sit top of the pile and eight points clear of their nearest rivals, while they’ve secured their spot in the Champions League knockout stage with two games to spare.
The only real concern at this point is arguably the loss of Benjamin Mendy to a long-term injury, which has forced Guardiola to deploy Fabian Delph at left-back, albeit the England man has done a commendable job.
Nevertheless, as reported by The Sun, City were keen on Barcelona ace Sergi Roberto in the New Year, with the Spaniard having a £35m release clause.
However, he has now effectively ruled out the chances of an exit from the Nou Camp, as he has enjoyed a more prominent role under Ernesto Valverde so far this season, making 16 appearances in all competitions.
“The future? I always said I wanted to stay at Barcelona. My dream is to stay forever at the club of my life,” he said, as per the report.
Granted, it’s one thing the player saying it and another when the club agrees and wants him to stay. However, having come through the youth ranks and given his versatility to be able to play in various positions both in defence and midfield, a quality that would undoubtedly have appealed to Guardiola, it seems to make sense for Barca to keep hold of the 25-year-old.
Perhaps squad depth is the only thing that Guardiola needs to add at this stage as he won’t want to disrupt the balance he’s found in his side, while there’s always the threat of injuries and suspensions which could leave them short over the course of the entire season.
However, based on his comments above, it doesn’t look as though Sergi Roberto has any intention of swapping Barcelona for Manchester any time soon.