Manchester City target Sergi Roberto to be offered new Barcelona contract which contains an eye-watering £350m release clause
Midfielder has emerged as a January target for Pep Guardiola as City look to land another Premier League title
BARCELONA are reportedly ready to hand a new contract to Manchester City target Sergi Roberto.
Mundo Deportivo claims the Spanish giants are desperate to keep him out of Pep Guardiola’s clutches in January.
It was claimed last month that City are preparing to meet Roberto’s £35million release clause this winter.
But fresh reports allege that Barcelona will attempt to raise that figure to an astonishing £350m.
And if Roberto agrees to stay put at the Nou Camp, it would surely end any chance of him completing an Etihad switch.
The 25-year-old is equally capable of playing as a right-back or a centre-midfielder.
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And Roberto’s versatility could prove useful to Guardiola’s ambitions as the tactician chases his first-ever Premier League title win.
At Bayern Munich, Guardiola famously instructed his full-backs to cut inside and become make-shift anchormen, giving more attacking freedom to his central midfielders.
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But the likes of super-speedy Kyle Walker prefer to wage war on the byline, and Roberto would provide even more options for Guardiola as City continue their charge towards silverware.
The La Masia graduate continues to be used in rotation by new Barca boss Ernesto Valverde, and may prefer to take his chances elsewhere should an offer come in.
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