With their contracts running out in the summer, Marcos Alonso and captain Sergi Roberto will be free to negotiate with other clubs from January onwards.
Sergi Roberto, the club captain, has not seen much on-the-pitch prominence this season. Barcelona head coach Xavi Hernández has opted for a midfield quartet of Gavi, Pedri, Frenkie de Jong, and Ilkay Gündogan more often than not, and with the arrival of João Cancelo, Roberto’s playing time has been very limited.
As for Marcos Alonso, the former Chelsea man has found himself on the sidelines due to injury for the majority of the season, and in other instances have found himself low in Xavi’s pecking order.
The pair could thus be on their way out this summer, with both their contracts running out on June 30, 2024.
So long as that is the case, they will, naturally, be able to negotiate with other clubs starting January 1, with the prospect of a summer move as free agents. In some cases with other players, it isn’t unnatural for the club to renew for another season, making the club able to demand a transfer sum, rather than have the player leaving for free. In this case, it is worth noting that Barcelona signed both players for free, in that Marcos Alonso was signed as a free agent after leaving Chelsea, and Sergi Roberto came through the famed La Masía academy.
According to Spanish news outlet SPORT, for both players, the club greatly appreciates the professionalism they’ve shown throughout their time at the club, and promise they will inform them of their decision as soon as possible. For Alonso, the writing may already be on the wall, given that he is due to potentially undergo an operation in his back. For Sergi, the captain believes he remains an integral piece of the dressing room, and would like to stay for another year, and would even be willing to take another pay-cut if need be.
Marcos Alonso has reportedly attracted interest from fellow LaLiga side Atlético de Madrid, as well as some Premier League sides. He joined the club back in the summer of 2022 and had plenty of playing time last season under Xavi. Sergi Roberto has been with the club since 2006, joining the-then Barcelona B team in 2009, aged 17, before making the leap to the first team in the 2010/11 season under Pep Guardiola. In the 236 games since, he netted 12 times for Barca, with a brace against Almería last week.
