Xavi urges Barcelona to renew key player’s contract

Barcelona are likely to renew Sergi Roberto's (R) contract. — AFPFC Barcelona boss Xavi Hernandez urged the club to renew Sergi Roberto’s contract for one more season as the midfielder is considered a key player for the head coach, reported Spanish news outlet SPORT on Sunday.Roberto’s current deal with the Catalan club ends in June 2024 and Xavi does not want to see the midfielder go.  Speaking to a press conference ahead of Barcelona’s Copa del Rey match against Barbastro, the 43-year-old expressed his desire to keep the 31-year-old at the club.“I would recommend to the club that they renew Sergi Roberto. They already know it. He is important, he can play in many positions. You have to explain very little to him. He knows what Barca is, what it represents. A highly criticised footballer, but he always plays at a high level. I’m delighted with him,” Xavi said in a presser on Saturday.The club wanted to offload Roberto and defender Marcos Alonso before, but as per the new SPORT report, following Xavi’s public wish to keep the midfielder, the club decided to renew the 31-year-old’s current deal for one more season.However, Roberto would have to accept a significant wage cut to stay at Barcelona as the club is looking to reduce their salary cap to ease their financial burdens.Roberto, who played with Xavi in the 2014/15 season, did not have the most pleasant start to the season as he was finding it difficult to get playing time but injuries to key players paved the way for the midfielder and he stepped in considerably well.Xavi does not want to lose an experienced player who is not just important on the pitch but also has a strong voice in the dressing room.On the other hand, Barcelona have no intentions of keeping defender Marcos Alonso, who recently underwent surgery and will be on the sidelines for three months.Alonso played 37 matches in total last season but a dip in form and struggle with injuries made his case worse as the left-back has only played 300 minutes this season in seven appearances across competitions. Comments Submit مضمون کا ماخذ: اسکریچ کارڈز خریدیں