Sergi Roberto joins LA Galaxy on contract until 2028 after Barcelona and Como spells

LA Galaxy have signed former Barcelona midfielder Sergi Roberto on a free transfer, with the move announced on Saturday following the end of his time with Como.

The 33-year-old has agreed a contract with the Major League Soccer club until the summer of 2028, with LA Galaxy holding an option to extend the deal for a further season, according to Spanish newspaper Sport.

LA Galaxy highlighted Roberto’s highly successful career with Barcelona in their official announcement. The Spain international spent almost 18 years with the Catalan club and won 25 trophies during that period.

The American club’s general manager Will Kuntz said Roberto would bring a combination of experience and quality that would strengthen the squad.

“Sergi Roberto brings a mix of leadership, technical quality, tactical intelligence and experience in competitions that only a few players possess,” Kuntz said on the club’s official website.

Roberto will also be reunited in Los Angeles with his former Barcelona team-mate Riqui Puig. Puig is currently in the final stages of his recovery from a knee anterior cruciate ligament injury.

The two players were team-mates at Barcelona between 2018 and 2022, a period in which they won two trophies together. Their reunion at LA Galaxy will give Roberto the opportunity to work again with a player he previously shared the Barcelona dressing room with for four seasons.

Roberto left Barcelona after a long spell at the club before joining Como, where he spent two seasons. He played an important role in the Italian side’s historic qualification for European competitions under manager Cesc Fabregas.

His move to LA Galaxy now marks the next stage of a career that began and developed largely at Barcelona before taking him to Italy. The MLS club’s announcement placed particular emphasis on the length and success of his time with the Spanish side, while also pointing to the leadership, technical ability, tactical understanding and competitive experience he is expected to provide.

The agreement means Roberto will remain under contract with LA Galaxy through the summer of 2028, unless the club chooses not to exercise the additional one-year extension. His arrival also creates a fresh link with Puig, who is nearing the end of his rehabilitation programme after the serious knee injury.

For LA Galaxy, the signing brings in a player with a record of winning major honours at Barcelona and recent experience of helping Como reach European competition. For Roberto, it follows two seasons with Como and begins a new chapter in the United States after his departure from the club where he spent nearly two decades.