Barcelona: Sergi Roberto in talks to join LA Galaxy
A source close to AS has confirmed that a representative from the MLS club traveled last week to Spain to talk to the FC Barcelona midfielder.
FC Barcelona has shelved Sergi Roberto’s contract talks to prioritize the futures of other players. The 30-year-old is one of the club captains, but he is no longer a key player and his contract is set to expire on 30 June, 2022.
Roberto is frustrated with the situation and he is about to become a free agent, which means he can start talking to other teams regarding his future. Barcelona was expected to meet with the Spanish midfielder in January, however that never happened. It is clear that the people in charge at the Camp Nou think it is best for Roberto to leave in the summer.
Sergi Roberto could play in MLS this summer
The 30-year-old has only made 12 appearances across all competitions so far this campaign due to a hamstring injury. According to a source close to AS.com in Los Angeles, a representative of the Galaxy is aware of the situation and he traveled to Spain last week to present an offer.
The problem is the Galaxy don’t have a designated spot open because they have been assigned to Douglas Costa, Javier Hernández and Kevin Cabral. However, they can offer Roberto a contract similar to that they handed Zlatan Ibrahimovic in 2018.
This means that the Galaxy can only offer Roberto a contract through the end of 2022 season, worth $1.5 million per year, the maximum allowed for a contract using Targeted Allocation Money. This could change if the MLS side is able to sell Cabral in the summer, which would open a designated spot for Roberto.