The day that Sergi Roberto was about to cut his Barcelona ties...

Sergi Roberto’s the revelation of the Spanish league. He defends well and he has the most assists (4) in LaLiga. He’s an indisputable starter in Barcelona’s side and even took Dani Carvajal’s place in the Spain team for the last round of international games. He’s in a sweet moment, which was not the case 13 months ago in the summer of 2015. 

Then, he’d completed a season with the first team unsatisfactorily. He’d hardly played. He was the last player in the squad. After progressing to the B team in 2009, he began to train with Pep Guardiola’s first team. He even made his first team debut but he never had any continuity and the arrival of Luis Enrique years later didn’t change his situation. It aggravated it, even, as he only played 18 games and the club didn’t have a solution. 

What was best: a loan or a transfer? The club met in the summer of 2015 with his agent, Josep Maria Orobitg, to explain the situation, to say that they didn’t count on him. Orobitg began to look for other options. Sergi Roberto had to go. A tough decision for the player had arrived after 14 years at La Masia. His dream was escaping. 

However, the club changed their mind against the backdrop of being unable to sign players due to FIFA’s transfer ban. Luis Enrique had few players and it wouldn’t have made sense to lose another one, especially one with such a good attitude. So Sergi Roberto stopped seeking offers to spend a little more time in Barcelona. ‘A little more time?’ Yes, because this time there was an expiry date: January 2016. When Barça could register Aleix Vidal and Arda Turan, Roberto would be transferred. It was a four month extension. More than anyone expected. 

Barça communicated this to Orobitg, who had four months to find a team. The price was not going to be a problem as the Catalan club were happy to facilitate an exit. After arriving as a cadete, Sergi Roberto was going to leave the club before his 24th birthday. He’d completed a dream, but he had not consolidated it.

Life has many twists and turns, though. Be persistent and you will get your reward. That’s what happened with Sergi Roberto. An injury to Dani Alves at the start of last season saw Luis Enrique play him at right-back, with Vidal not registered. It had been something the Barça boss had considered in this scenario. Sergi wasn’t sure but he accepted it as the professional he is. For himself, for Luis Enrique and for the team. And it went well. 

After that, Luis Enrique alternated him with Dani Alves throughout the winter. By January, no-one was in agreement with the idea to sell him. By the end of the season he’d played 49 matches! And when Alves left in the summer, Barça rejected the chance to sign another right-back as they felt the position was covered with Sergi Roberto and Vidal. Now it’s not just Vidal he’s overtaken, but Real Madrid’s Carvajal in the national team, too. 

Thirteen months ago Sergi Roberto was out. Ten months ago he was about to be transferred. Now he’s a fundamental piece of Barça’s side. Life is capricious, Sergi Roberto is testament to that.