Former Barcelona 'B' boss Eusebio Sacristan has claimed that Sergi Roberto will succeed Dani Alves as the club's right-back for years to come.
The 23-year-old had been on the periphery of the Barca first team in recent seasons, with a midfield berth continuing to elude him, but he has flourished in the Brazilian's absence down the right-hand side, and his ex-mentor believes he is there to stay.
“He's found the position where he can exploit all his qualities,” Sacristan told Marca.
“Central midfielders at Barca have little space to roam around in. Xavi [Hernandez], [Andres] Iniesta, Thiago [Alcantara] and [Ivan] Rakitic are very similar players who only exploit their positions [in the centre].
“Sergi Roberto has great fighting spirit and is excellent at driving the ball forward. In addition, Messi tends to go into the middle, leaving him with more space.
“Sergi Roberto will be Barca's future right-back. [Dani] Alves is getting older and needs a respite, and that's where Sergi comes in.
“After several years in which he didn't realise his potential, he's been a fantastic discovery for Barca this season.”
