---
title: "Manchester City: Txiki Begiristain makes enquiries to Barcelona about Sergi Roberto"
canonical: "https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/man-city-txiki-begiristain-enquiries-sergi-roberto-transfer-news/"
type: "post"
language: "en-GB"
author: "Liam Togher"
section: "Manchester City Football Club"
published: "2020-06-05T12:00:36Z"
modified: "2020-06-05T12:00:36Z"
---

# Manchester City: Txiki Begiristain makes enquiries to Barcelona about Sergi Roberto

**Manchester City have reportedly made a move towards trying to sign Sergi Roberto from Barcelona, according to reports from Spain.**

[Mundo Deportivo](https://www.mundodeportivo.com/futbol/fc-barcelona/20200603/481576011369/barca-sergi-roberto-miguel-rico.html) claimed that director of football Txiki Begiristain has made enquiries to the La Liga club about the 28-year-old, with the approval of City manager Pep Guardiola, under whom the versatile Spain international [has previously played](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/sergi-roberto/leistungsdatentrainer/spieler/85370/plus/0/verein/131/trainer_id/5672) at Camp Nou.

![](https://cdn.footballtransfertavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/THE-BREAKDOWN.png)

Roberto, who is valued at £36m by [TransferMarkt](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/sergi-roberto/profil/spieler/85370) and has won [two Champions League titles](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/sergi-roberto/erfolge/spieler/85370) with Barcelona, has the vast experience of playing [273 times](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/sergi-roberto/leistungsdatendetails/spieler/85370/verein/131) for the La Liga champions, with 29 of those games coming this season as he has been a regular presence in their starting XI (as per [TransferMarkt](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/sergi-roberto/leistungsdaten/spieler/85370)).

[A midfielder by trade](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/sergi-roberto/leistungsdatendetails/spieler/85370), the 28-year-old has been deployed [mainly at right-back in recent months](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/sergi-roberto/leistungsdaten/spieler/85370) – coincidentally the position in which Nelson Semedo, who has also been linked with Manchester City ([Sport](https://www.sport.es/),via [Sport Witness](https://sportwitness.co.uk/everything-indicates-players-next-destination-will-be-man-city-great-interest-from-etihad/)), [regularly features](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/nelson-semedo/leistungsdaten/spieler/231572).

Roberto has an excellent passing success rate of [91.2%](https://www.whoscored.com/Players/90782/Show/Sergi-Roberto), which puts him ahead of Guardiola’s current right-backs Joao Cancelo ([89.4%](https://www.whoscored.com/Teams/167/Show/England-Manchester-City)) and Kyle Walker ([88.9%](https://www.whoscored.com/Teams/167/Show/England-Manchester-City)) in that regard. He also wins more tackles per game than the Englishman ([1.2](https://www.whoscored.com/Players/90782/Show/Sergi-Roberto) to [one](https://www.whoscored.com/Teams/167/Show/England-Manchester-City)), while they [both average one interception per game](https://www.whoscored.com/PlayerComparison).

However, Cancelo has a far better tackling average with [2.3 per game](https://www.whoscored.com/Teams/167/Show/England-Manchester-City) and also makes more interceptions per match with [1.4](https://www.whoscored.com/Teams/167/Show/England-Manchester-City). Additionally, the Etihad Stadium duo have far greater attacking instincts than the Barcelona man. Roberto’s match averages of [0.2 shots and 0.5 successful dribbles](https://www.whoscored.com/Players/90782/Show/Sergi-Roberto) pale in comparison with the respective figures put up by Cancelo ([0.7 shots, 1.6 successful dribbles](https://www.whoscored.com/Teams/167/Show/England-Manchester-City)) and Walker ([0.6 shots, 0.9 successful dribbles](https://www.whoscored.com/Teams/167/Show/England-Manchester-City)).

![](https://cdn.footballtransfertavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Verdict.png)

While Roberto would present Guardiola with a versatile option at [right-back and central midfield](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/sergi-roberto/leistungsdaten/spieler/85370), he does not seem an upgrade on the current right-sided defensive pair of Walker and Cancelo. Indeed, the latter has been reportedly considered as bait in a potential swap deal with Semedo ([Mundo Deportivo](https://www.mundodeportivo.com/), via [Sport Witness](https://sportwitness.co.uk/man-city-among-suitors-player-another-club-can-reach-beneficial-agreement-transfer/)), which seems difficult to comprehend given Cancelo’s more than respectable statistics from this season.

\[freshpress-poll id=”301941″\]

At £36m, 28 years of age and in a position where Manchester City are already well stocked, the Premier League champions ought to be looking elsewhere to bolster their squad over the summer.

***Man City fans, are you surprised that the club are reportedly pursuing a move for Sergi Roberto? Comment below with your views!***