Arsenal are keeping their tabs open for Barcelona midfielder Sergi Roberto. The 30-year-old Spaniard will be running out of contract at Barcelona at the end of this season. Moreover, there is still no agreement between the player and the club regarding a contract extension. Sergi Roberto has been a part of Barcelona for most of his career but looks set to part ways with his boyhood club.
Arsenal is their want for a right-back which is less of a priority and more of a ‘want’. Mundo Deportivo has reportedly stated via Sport Witness that Arsenal are interested in securing the services of Sergi Roberto.
The 30-year-old midfielder is widely known for the last-minute goal he scored against Paris Saint-Germain in Barcelona’s epic ‘La Remontada’ in 2017. Other than that, he has had a fairly good contribution for the Catalonians over the years. However, he has not stepped up onto the pitch since October because of niggling injuries.
Moreover, he was also criticised heavily for his recent performances before getting injured. That was because he has not been this poor before. Furthermore, the fans expect more as he had become a ‘hero’ character for all the Barcelona fans after he helped the club come back from a 4 goal deficit to win 6-5 on aggregate against PSG.
Here’s how Sergi Roberto fared at FC Barcelona:
Sergi Roberto has played 149 games as a right-back for Barcelona while also playing 99 games as a central midfielder (stats via whoscored). He has scored 13 goals and assisted 37 since making his debut in 2010-11. Although he does not have remarkable stats in goal-scoring, he has stepped up in attack when it mattered.
He was a part of a really strong Barcelona side that won everything in the last decade. He is a six time La Liga winner while also winning the Copa del Rey six times. Roberto has also won the Supercopa de Espana a total of five times. Moreover, he has two FIFA Club World Cups, two UEFA Champions League trophies and two UEFA Super Cups.
Now that is quite a trophy cabinet for any player in the world. However, he has not contributed as much except for the trophies won by Barcelona after 2017/18. He has made only 316 appearances since his debut for Barcelona in the 2010/11 season. However, that is understandable as Barcelona had one of the best right-backs in the world in Dani Alves.
Sergi Roberto has some really good dribbling stats which reflect his ability to play in the midfield. He had completed the most number of dribbles (42) than any other defender in the La Liga in the 2017/18 season (stats via whoscored). However, he has missed a total of 37 games last season due to injuries and continues to do so this season also.
How Sergi Roberto could help Arsenal?
Sergi Roberto is an extremely versatile player who can play in three or more positions. He can mainly play as a right back. However, Arsenal are not in major need of a right back. Therefore, he could contribute a lot in the midfield for the London club. He is a wonderful dribbler who can help create space for himself and the other players around him.
Moreover, he could also play as a defensive midfielder and has done that quite a few times before. If Arteta wants to chase a game or make some changes midgame, he might resort to shifting Roberto to a deeper role to carry the ball forward. However, that could backfire if the Spaniard ends up losing the ball closer to his goal.
More importantly, his experience in the top flight playing with world-class players could be what Mikel Arteta is looking for. Arsenal currently have very young players and only a few players with Champions League experience. Some seniority in the squad might ease Arteta’s workload of teaching the younger players in handling the pressure of the big games.
Why Roberto might not be the perfect option for the Gunners?
Although he has been with Barcelona for many years and has won many majors, he still might not be the perfect fit for Arteta and his squad. Sergi Roberto is 30 years old who is sustaining a lot of injuries at the moment. This could be the same situation with him at Arsenal where he gets injured and misses the majority of matches.
Moreover, he may not be able to cope with the intensity of the Premier League. There are high chances of him getting injured again with the strong physical nature of the games in the league.
Arsenal have already worked on clearing deadwood from the club but might go back to the same if g Sergi Roberto fails. In addition, he has not played a competitive game for a long time which could impact his performance.
Arsenal will be stuck paying his high wage demands as he has now with Barcelona without him providing the necessary game time. The Gunners are capable of finding a better option in the summer of 2022.
