Barcelona captain close to signing a one-plus-one contract extension – report | OneFootball

Reports emerged earlier this week that Barcelona had offered a one-year contract offer to Sergi Roberto, with an option to extend it by another year.

Now, Jordi Gil of SPORT is claiming that Roberto, the second captain of the club, is close to accepting the one-plus-one extension offer from the Catalan giants and prolonging his stay at Spotify Camp Nou beyond the current season.

The 30-year-old La Masia graduate was in a similar situation last year as well and went on to pen a one-year extension as manager Xavi Hernandez urged the club to keep hold of the versatile star.

Once again, as per the report, Xavi is in favour of Roberto’s renewal as he brings a sense of familiarity, versatility and tactical flexibility to the table.

The Spanish midfielder-turned-right-back has always been keen on continuing at the club of his life and had publicly stated his desire to sign a new deal on more than one occasion in the recent past.

And, it seems like Roberto will be getting his wish imminently, with the board tabling a one-year offer with the additional option of extending it by another twelve months.

Roberto’s agent, Josep Maria Orobitg, is said to be studying the proposal and an affirmative response is likely to arrive soon, given the player’s intentions to continue.

The report adds that apart from Xavi’s insistence on retaining Roberto, what convinced the club to go ahead with the offer is that it does not increase the wage bill and affect their Fair Play situation as the 30-year-old will renew on his current terms.

Should Sergio Busquets leave at the end of the season, Roberto would stand to become the first captain. Despite not being a regular starter, the seasoned campaigner has shown enough that he can be a reliable backup, be it in midfield or at right-back.

And, all things point towards him remaining at the club for at least one more year.