It was recently reported that Barcelona have had their first renewal offer to Sergi Roberto rejected by the player.
The Barcelona veteran, whose contract at Camp Nou expires at the end of the season, is one of two club captains facing an uncertain future at the club, along with Sergio Busquets, who has been subjected to a move to Inter Miami in the summer.
A recent report from Toni Juanmarti has offered an update on Barcelona’s renewal pursuit of Roberto, explaining the reason why the player decided to knock back the club’s first offer.
It appears Barcelona had included a special clause in Roberto’s extension offer that would have allowed the club to unilaterally extend the length of the contract to a further year. The clause will be dependent on the number of matches the player participates in.
Roberto believes the clause is unfair and he is favouring a contract extension of just one year, with no option to extend it a year further.
This is hardly surprising as the Spaniard had to take up a 60% salary cut in the summer in order to extend his stay at Barça. He remains keen on prolonging his stay at Camp Nou, but signing a contract with a special clause would mean that his overall salary could remain unchanged for the second additional year.
Even if Roberto continues to perform well at the highest level or Barcelona improve their financial stability, the player’s salary may not increase in the second year. Therefore, he is only willing to sign a one-year deal that will expire in 2024.
The report, though, points out that both Roberto and Barcelona have an excellent relationship and should soon figure out an agreement that suits all parties involved