Official: Sergi Roberto extends Barcelona contract till 2022

Sergi Roberto has agreed an extension on his current contract with Barcelona till 2022, the club announced on Friday.

Barcelona have made an official statement to announce that they have reached an agreement with Sergi Roberto to extend his current contract with the club. The extension will see that versatile Spaniard remain at Camp Nou till June 30, 2022.

Roberto has been one of the latest success stories from the fabled La Masia academy at Barcelona. The player joined the Blaugrana’s youth academy in 2006 before quickly progressing into senior football just three years later, although he had to bide his time with the Barcelona B side before breaking into the first-team setup in 2013.

And Roberto hasn’t looked back since, with his versatility making him an option in both attack and defence. This season, the player has been a regular fixture for Barcelona, having made 25 appearances in all competitions, even usurping Nelson Semedo from the right-back slot.

BREAKING: Sergi Roberto has extended his Barcelona contract until 2022 ?? pic.twitter.com/BOI9exvDFM

— B/R Football (@brfootball) January 19, 2018

With such consistent performances, the Spain international has become a highly sought-after figure in the transfer market, with Manchester United among those who have shown an interest.

Manchester United’s interest in Roberto perhaps stems from the fact that Jose Mourinho has barely any options to deputise for Antonio Valencia, who seems to be running on his last legs, albeit strongly, at Old Trafford. The player’s ability to play in midfield also makes him an option for the centre of the park for the manager.

But, Manchester United now face an extremely uphill task in their bid to sign Roberto, with the player putting pen to paper on a new deal with Barcelona that sees him tied to the club till June 30, 2022. There had initially been reports of the 25-year-old being unwilling to commit to a new deal, but all those rumours have now been quashed.

Roberto’s contract contains an astonishing €500 million release clause that makes it almost impossible for other clubs to sign him, a la Neymar last summer. The enormous clause also suggests that Barcelona are determined to not repeat the mistake that led Neymar to depart from Camp Nou last summer.

Barcelona fans, too, would be excited at the prospect of Roberto remaining at the club for the foreseeable future, with the player one of the most respected individuals at the club. Manchester United, on the other hand, will need to set their sights elsewhere to reinforce Jose Mourinho’s squad.