Barcelona captain’s future at the club depends on one key factor – report

Barcelona have already started the process of offloading players ahead of the summer transfer window as it has been reported that Marcos Alonso will be heading towards the exit door after his contract expires in the summer.

Similarly, some of the players currently on loan, like Sergino Dest, Clement Lenglet, Eric Garcia, and Ansu Fati are also expected to leave Barça by the summer transfer window.

While most of these players will not raise enough money to sign replacements, taking off their wages from the bill will be immensely helpful. It will also make up space on the roster, allowing the registration of La Masia graduates.

Speaking of academy players, Barcelona’s very own captain Sergi Roberto’s future is still up in the air.

Roberto could leave for free

According to a report published by Fabrizio Romano, Barcelona captain Sergi Roberto could leave the club for free at the end of the season with his contract clocking up.

However, his future highly depends on Xavi, who is a huge advocate for the player’s continuity.

The coach is pretty much the only reason Roberto is still a part of the current Barcelona setup. He publicly asked for his renewal last season when the player’s contract was expiring, and the board ended up obliging.

Xavi has also asked the club to consider renewing him this season even if thought he is leaving the club himself.

What about Xavi’s future?

While Xavi continues to repeat during every press conference that he is not changing his mind about leaving the club at the end of the season, Barcelona are persisting on trying to convince him to stay.

They have been unable to reach a mutual consensus over the new coach, with the likes of Hansi Flick, Luis Enrique, Julian Nagelsmann, and Roberto De Zerbi, among others, dividing opinion.

At the end of the day, though, it seems like Xavi’s decision could boil down to how Barcelona end the season in the league and the Champions League.