Girona Sign Patrick Roberts from Manchester City on Season-Long Loan
Aug 16, 2018
GLASGOW, SCOTLAND - APRIL 29: Patrick Roberts of Celtic arrives at the stadium prior to the Scottish Premier League match between Celtic and Rangers at Celtic Park on April 29, 2018 in Glasgow, Scotland. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)
The midfielder joined the Manchester outfit three years ago from Fulham with a reputation as one of the best young players in English football.
Since making the move, he's only played for City in the Premier League once, though he spent the previous two-and-a-half years on loan at Celtic. He played 55 times in the Scottish Premier League for the Glasgow giants, netting 15 goals in the process.
After failing to force his way into manager Pep Guardiola's plans in pre-season, it's not a huge surprise to see the England youth international depart on a temporary deal again.
Scouted Football noted that this move to the La Liga side represents a step up for the player compared to the competitions he's played in previously:
Manchester City winger Patrick Roberts (21) has joined Girona FC on a season-long loan.
🏴 2014-15 • Championship 🏴 2016-18 • Scottish Premiership 🇪🇸 2018-19 • La Liga
Roberts may not be at a level where he can rival the likes of Raheem Sterling, Leroy Sane or Riyad Mahrez for roles out wide at the Etihad Stadium, but there's no doubt he's a talented operator.
Typically at his best on the right flank, the left-footed attacker is a threat floating infield. When he does find pockets of space, he knits play together well, can thread incisive passes into the feet of team-mates and even fires off shots at goal himself.
Girona are members of the City Football Group and last season loaned five players to the Catalan outfit. In their first ever campaign in La Liga, Girona impressed, as they secured a top-half finish and picked up a famous win against Real Madrid.
