Sergi Samper has been at La Masia since he was 6 years old. He has played in every youth category and is now on the brink of the first team. He has come so far, and is so close to achieving his dream, why would he leave?
I see many people online saying that Luis Enrique doesn’t trust him and won’t involve him with the first team. In September, Lucho was quoted saying “Sergi Samper represents every single value in a football player” . He trusts and believes in him.
Arsenal would be the easy way out for Samper. A good pay, back with friends (it is well-known that Hector Bellerin and Samper are good friends), not as much competition and no need to adapt to a new position (there are rumours that Samper will be adapted to a centre midfielder so the dominance of Busquets doesn’t hinder his development).
But Sergi bleeds Barça, and he’s willing to work for his chance. Just 12 days ago, during a press conference at Nike Camp Andorra, Samper said: “It is difficult for me to stay with the first team but I will do my best and work hard” and he went on to say “I am looking forward, I have a lot to prove, I’ve got the best players in my position, but I’m ready”. The first quote from the press conference ends all rumours indefinitely, he said: “Barça is the club of my life, if I can I want to stay here forever.”
Samper has rejected Arsenal three times already, since he was fifteen years old. He rejected them when he had everything to gain from them, a better contract with a pay rise and a quicker route to the first team, but he stayed at the club he grew up with and continued to work hard for his dream. Now, 5 years on, Samper has just turned 20 and is in the transitional period from Barcelona B to the first team. Why would he leave now, when he’s this close?
I realise that all of this has stemmed from the front page of Mundo Deportivo, and is not a very credible story, but this has caused a mass media storm and people should realise that just because ‘a source in Spain’ has given a story, it doesn’t make it at all credible.
BCNDavid 