Barcelona reject Manchester City's bid for Sergi Roberto

Barcelona, July 7: Manchester City have reportedly had a bid rejected for Barcelona footballer Sergi Roberto, who Chelsea failed to sign last summer.

The 25-year-old is a versatile player who can play either at central midfield or at right-back and is believed to be rated highly by former Barcelona manager Pep Guardiola who is targeting an overhaul at the Etihad Stadium.

Long linked with a host of Premier League clubs, he was a top target for Chelsea a year ago, but Barca refused to let him leave due to the lack of options after the departure of Dani Alves.

Spanish media house 'Mundo Deportivo' are reporting that Barcelona have rejected a €35 million offer from Manchester City for the versatile footballer.

Roberto was rotated with Aleix Vidal at the right-back position last season, and notably scored a crucial goal for the club in their incredible 6-1 comeback win against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League.

Barcelona are looking to bring Arsenal right-back Hector Bellerin back to the Camp Nou but new Barcelona boss Ernesto Valverde sees Roberto as a crucial player thanks to his versatlility to play in a number of positions. Therefore, the former Athletic Bilbao manager reckons him as “untransferable".

Former Barcelona right-back Dani Alves is closing in on a move to Manchester City. So, it is a bit surprising to see Pep Guardiola making such a huge bid for Roberto who will not even be the first-choice right-back at Etihad.

On the other hand, the versatility of Roberto could prove to be an asset for any team and probably Pep is an admirer of that. He is an unorthodox manager with new and innovative ideas and Roberto's addition might have been a trump card for him.

However, Roberto remains a Barcelona player as of now and with Barcelona desperate to keep him, Pep might have to look elsewhere.

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