In the somewhat stunted contract negotiations between Sergi Roberto and Barcelona, it feels the issue is finally coming to a head seven months after they began.
Earlier in the week, Joan Laporta spoke on the contract negotiations with Ousmane Dembele and Sergi Roberto, appearing to leave both matters somewhat dead in the water. According to the President, Roberto rejected an offer in December and the two parties hadn’t spoken until the final days of March.
He made those declarations on live radio in an in-depth interview, which was widely broadcasted across Spanish sports media. However, Roberto’s agent Josep Maria Orobitg has disputed Laporta’s side of the story.
“Laporta’s statements don’t correspond to reality.”
Speaking of the timeline, Orobitg claimed that there was only one offer from the club to him, in quotes picked up by Mundo Deportivo.
“In August there was a counter-offer from the club which was very low.”
Oroobitg then claims that Laporta personally made Roberto an offer in September, but that was the last of their offers – rather than in December.
“They sent us a document that didn’t have anything to do with what we had spoken about. It wasn’t at all similar to what they said.”
The agent was also keen to protect Roberto’s image, which he felt had been damaged by Laporta’s words.
“He gave up an important part of his salary, delaying a considerable part of his salary too. He isn’t one of the most expensive in the squad by a long way.”
“He’s an academy player, a cule since birth and he loves Barca.”
