Barcelona legend set for immediate Premier League move

With Hansi Flick now in charge at Barcelona things were always going to change, though it’s still a surprise to learn that one club legend is set to leave imminently.

Once Xavi Hernandez was removed from his position, as with any change around in team management, whomever was to come in his stead was likely to have different ideas.

Both in the way the team played and also the with regards to the make up of the squad.

Sergi Roberto to leave Barcelona

Certain players would be non-negotiable and untouchable for the club hierarchy – for example, they’d never allow Lamine Yamal to be moved on at a new coach’s request – but there would likely be others where they’d take the opinion of the coach on board.

Neither of those scenarios apply to Sergi Roberto, however.

As Mundo Deportivo detail, the player, who has been part of Barca’s first-team for 14 seasons, had already agreed a new deal with the club from next season (his current one expired at the end of June).

However, Barcelona’s inability to register him for next season before mid-August has come back to bite them.

Perhaps with the knowledge of what happened to Lionel Messi a few seasons ago, when the club promised to register him but then reneged at the last minute, Sergi Roberto has pulled the rug from under the club and decided to move on immediately.

Mundo Deportivo note that he’s expected to have a new club in the next days, and it’s believed to be a Premier League outfit, though the name of the club hasn’t yet been specified.

It would bring to an end a brilliant Barca career, the highlight of which was surely the goal he scored to knock Paris Saint-Germain out of the Champions League back in 2017.