Barcelona legend tried to convince defensive outcast to join Italian outfit through a phone call

Italian side Como have become quite the safe haven for footballing stars of the past, who want to remain in Europe and not join the riches of Saudi Arabia or the MLS.

One of these former stars is Barcelona legend Sergi Roberto, who joined Como last summer on a free transfer after learning that the Catalans won’t offer him a contract extension.

Roberto’s move to Como did not sit well with most of the Barcelona fans. But the Spaniard appears to have established himself at Como now and shares a good relationship with former teammate and current coach Cesc Fabregas.

Roberto’s phone call to Eric Garcia

As a matter of fact, it seems Sergi Roberto is openly playing a role in helping Como bring in new players in the market.

According to Matteo Moretto, Roberto has personally called Eric Garcia to join Como this month. The same was done by former Barcelona midfielder Fabregas.

However, the report adds that Garcia desires to remain in Barcelona for now. Even his coach Hansi Flick wants to retain his services.

This is despite the fact that Garcia enjoys only a limited role in the Barcelona setup, falling behind Inigo Martinez, Pau Cubarsi and now Ronald Araujo in the pecking order.

Como, for their part, are trying their best to convince Barcelona to sell Garcia. The Italian outfit are even willing to cough up €7 million for the defender.

Como are also facing stiff competition from other clubs such as Girona, who are keen on re-signing the former Man City centre-back.

With time running out, the coming few days will be critical as Barcelona and Eric Garcia take a final call on the defender’s future.