Sport claim that Arsenal were interested before and are weighing up a surprise move for 31-year-old Roberto, who could become a valuable addition due to his ability to play in multiple positions and experience. He has captained Barcelona on several occasions this season but his future under Xavi is not guaranteed – and he is said to be viewing the Premier League as an ideal next destination should he leave the Spanish giants.
Barcelona do have an option to extend Roberto’s contract by a further year, but it remains to be seen whether they exercise that clause. He has made just five league appearances this season, three from the start, having had to compete with the likes of Gavi, Pedri, Frenkie de Jong, Ilkay Gundogan and Oriol Romeu this season.
It would not be the first time that Arteta has attempted to bring Roberto to Arsenal, having been on their shopping list last year. On Monday, January 1, they are able to talk to him regarding a pre-contract as his deal is set to expire at the end of the season.
Roberto has spent his entire career at Barcelona after coming through the club’s academy, but they could be prepared to part ways with the midfielder as a result of their financial issues in recent years.
Arsenal have been hampered by injuries to midfielders Thomas Partey and Fabio Vieira over the past few weeks. Roberto arriving to provide extra cover in the middle of the pitch for free could solve some issues for Mikel Arteta, while the Spaniard can also play at full-back.
The Gunners have been linked with big-money moves in January for the likes of Ivan Toney, Victor Osimhen and Dominic Solanke, being able to solve a few problems in the squad with a free transfer can certainly aid Arsenal in their ability to comply with Financial Fair Play.
Arteta has recently bemoaned having a thin squad to fight on multiple fronts with, but a versatile player such as Roberto can go some way to putting the boss at ease.
“At the moment it’s very difficult. We are really short,” Arteta said when asked about the prospect of Arsenal players leaving in January. There are positions where we’ve been exposed in the last few weeks.”
If Roberto does decide to leave Barcelona then Arsenal could get some of their summer business sorted very quickly.
